When the Devil Hunter is Away, the Demons Will Play
by Rebeldynasty
Summary: This is a short story, which is a slight spin-off to "A Day in the Life of Dante". Nero and Patty are left to watch over the Devil May Cry office, while Dante, Trish and Lady are away. When random people go missing all over the city, the young devil hunter and trainee must undertake the difficult task of saving them all before it's too late. Are they up to the challenge? DMC4/anime
1. What's the Worst That Could Happen?

**Hey everyone, I'm back with another Devil May Cry fanfiction. This one is a short story, a somewhat spin-off from a few of the chapters in "A Day in the Life of Dante", in which I had Patty being trained as a devil hunter. However, if you haven't read my word-prompt series, there's no pressure for you do so. It would make it somewhat less confusing (particularly if you read the chapter titled, "Lessons"), but beyond that, it's not necessary.**

**Patty is 15 in this, to avoid any potential confusion.**

**In this short story (which will probably be a maximum of five chapters when I'm done) Nero and Patty are left to look after the Devil May Cry agency for three days, while Dante, Lady and Trish go on a short vacation.**

**When a bunch of people-none of them connected in any way-start disappearing all over the city, it's up to the young part devil and hunter-in-training to figure out what's going on. This chapter is somewhat short, but I still hope it's to your liking. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Devil May Cry, or the characters. They are the property of Capcom. This fanfiction is non-profit, and purely for entertainment.**

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**Chapter 1: What's the Worst That Could Happen?**

"Are you sure you guys can handle this?" Dante gazed evenly at Nero, his ice blue eyes flicking to the blonde teenager standing next to him before returning to the younger hunter's face.

Nero rolled his sapphire eyes, Patty letting out an exasperated groan at the same time. This caused the elder devil hunter to chuckle, a lopsided grin settling across his lips.

"For the millionth time Dante," Patty replied with a huff, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "We'll be fine! You're only going away for three days; what's the worst that could happen?"

Dante shrugged, grinning in wry amusement as Nero cast a worried glance in the girl's direction. "Don't say that," the part devil admonished mildly, "every time someone says that, the worst _does_ happen."

"And in our line of work," Lady came forward then, the female hunter just having completed inspecting her weapons for the journey ahead. "The worst usually results in copious amounts of property damage." She shifted her stance, adjusting the missile launcher on her back so that it settled more comfortably between her shoulder blades, her ammo belt clacking softly as she did so.

"Yeah, try to avoid that while we're gone." Dante half pleaded, looking meaningfully at the younger hunter. "I just settled the last of my debts, thank you. I'd prefer it if I didn't come back to find out you've racked up more of 'em for me."

"Nero isn't like _you_, Dante." Trish came to stand next to the half devil, Ombra resting over her left shoulder, her lips pulling back into a playful smile. "He doesn't destroy half of the city while exterminating demons."

Dante scoffed at this, Nero flushing crimson as the half devil declared, "Oh, really? Clearly _you_ didn't see the wreckage after the Saviour battle."

"That was one time," Nero protested, grinning sheepishly as he threw his arms wide. "I haven't done damage like that since."

"Well, see that you don't." Dante stated, his lips twitching into a faint smirk. "We're counting on you, kid."

"What am I, chopped liver?" Patty glared at Dante with her bright blue eyes, her mouth twisting into an all-too-familiar pout.

Dante chuckled softly at this, and ruffled the teenaged girl's hair affectionately. This only served to deepen the scowl on her face further, the half devil no longer able to maintain his composure as he began to laugh openly. It was difficult to take her seriously, when she so reminded him of the little girl she had once been, her face contorting into the same haughty glare that she'd had even back then.

"Of course you aren't, Patty." Dante declared with a smile, patting her on the shoulder. His smile quickly faded, the skin around his eyes becoming tight as he gave the adolescent a significant look.

"Remember, Nero is in charge. If anything happens, follow his lead, got it? You're still in training." He squeezed her shoulder.

_If anything happens to you while I'm gone, I'll never forgive myself._

Patty reached up with her own hand and rested it on his, giving Dante a curt nod of understanding, her own expression as grave as the half devil's.

"Hey, it's going to be fine, old man." Nero's voice brought the elder hunter's gaze away from Patty, the younger hunter smiling reassuringly. "_We'll_ be fine." He emphasized, knowing full well that Dante's concern went far beyond that of property damage.

"Come on, Dante." Trish urged. Her blue-green eyes were alight with understanding, as she trailed her fingers lightly over his shoulder. "Nero is more than capable of taking care of the shop while we're gone, and Patty has gotten a lot better over the past few months."

Dante grunted. He knew the demoness was right; the kid never had let him down before. If things got too tough for Patty, Nero would be right there beside her to lighten the load.

Nero grinned at the elder hunter, and grabbed him by the shoulders, spinning him around so that he was facing away from the part devil. "See? Trish trusts us." he said jokingly, pushing the half devil toward the doors of the _Devil May Cry_. "Don't you have somewhere else to be, old man? Like on _vacation?_"

Dante glanced over his shoulder at the younger man, narrowing his eyes suspiciously, though he offered no resistance as Nero continued steering him out of the double doors.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to get rid of me." He allowed mock hurt to seep into his words, his lips twitching with the effort to remain straight-faced.

It was obvious that Nero could see right through his little ploy, the younger man giving him one final shove out onto the front steps of the building. Dante stumbled to a halt, his arms shooting outward to compensate for his forward momentum, lest he fall flat on his face. If that happened, there would be no end to the ribbing he'd receive from the others, and that was the _last_ thing he needed. They still hadn't let him forget about the incident a few weeks prior, when he'd turned his head to stare at a particularly attractive woman, resulting in him walking face-first into a telephone pole.

"Would you just get out of here, already?" Nero's lips parted into a wry smirk, the part devil crossing his arms over his chest smugly as Lady and Trish strode around him and Patty. Both women grabbed Dante by the shoulders, and made their way over to the half devil's convertible, smiling over their shoulders at the younger hunters.

"We'll be back in three days!" Lady hollered back at them, pulling her sunglasses down from her head and over her heterochromatic eyes.

"I've left my cell phone number on Dante's desk, if things get too out of hand." Trish added, sliding gracefully into the front passenger seat.

Still grumbling, Dante slid into the driver's seat, vaguely aware of Lady buckling up her seatbelt behind him. Heaving a sigh, he turned the key in the ignition, the car roaring to life. Casting one last glance at Nero and Patty, he saluted them with one hand, and pulled away from the building. He watched them shrink in his rear-view mirror until he turned onto the next street, the image of their reassuring smiles replaced by the faded brown bricks of the corner store.

_Good luck, you two._

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"Nero, come quick!"

Nero dropped the two plates of spaghetti he was holding onto the counter, barely noticing the food spilling over the edge as he dashed out of the kitchenette, and into the spacious office. Sweeping his gaze passed Dante's desk over to the sitting area, he made his way over to the teenaged girl sitting there, his footfalls echoing in the unusually quiet room.

Patty beckoned him over to the couch, placing one finger over her lips while she pointed at the television screen with the other.

Frowning, Nero followed her silent instructions, folding his arms over his chest as he watched the anchorwoman sitting on the other side of the screen in the brightly lit news office.

"_Multiple missing persons reports have been coming in since last evening, the numbers dramatically tripling in these past few hours. Police have reported that those missing don't seem to be linked in any manner, whatsoever. If you have any information about these inci—"_

A sharp knock came at the door then, startling both the part devil and the teen away from the evening news.

Nero's hand lowered to his left hip, his finger tracing lightly over the engraving on the side of his revolver, Blue Rose. Next to him, Patty did the same with her own weapon, the gun-blade she had dubbed 'Karma'.

"Come in!" The blonde girl called out warily, her eyes never blinking as they waited for the double doors to open.

The left door opened slowly, the light from the street lamps outside cascading across the floor as a plump middle-aged woman cautiously made her way inside. Wisps of grey hair fell over her left eye, fluttering with each breath she took.

Relaxing his stance, Nero removed his hand from his gun, watching as Patty strode forward to meet the frazzled-looking woman.

"Come on in," the teen beckoned in a friendly tone, "would you like a cup of tea?"

The woman's expression relaxed considerably, and she made her way further into the office. "Yes, please. That would be wonderful…particularly after the day I've had."

As Patty sauntered off to fetch the woman's tea, Nero gestured with one arm over to the sitting area, making an attempt at a friendly smile. "Please, take a seat. Then you can tell us what services you require of us here at the _Devil May Cry_ agency."

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**Sorry that it's so short, but I figured it's best to leave it off there, in which the events unfolding will come to light in the next chapters. I hope you've enjoyed; let me know what you think with a review.**


	2. You Just Had to Ask

**Hello again, readers! First, I'd like to thank those of you who have added this to your favourites or are following it, along with those of you who have reviewed so far. I hope you're enjoying this so far. **

**And so, we enter the second chapter, in which the plot finally begins to unfold. It looks like Nero and Patty really have their hands full now, what with Dante, Trish and Lady being away. Let's hope it's not more than they can handle.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Devil May Cry, or the characters herein; they are the property of Capcom. This fanfiction is non-profit, and purely for entertainment. **

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**Chapter 2: You Just Had to Ask**

Nero sat forward in the plush armchair, his elbows resting on top of his thighs with his fingers laced together under his chin, his gaze steady on the client sitting on the couch opposite from him. He listened intently as the woman, whom he had come to learn was named Laura Jennings, regaled him and Patty with her tale of woe. His gaze occasionally flicked over to Patty, the adolescent girl sitting next to Laura with her back straight, hands folded in her lap, her brow furrowed in concern.

"So, you're husband has been missing since last evening?" Nero inquired, noting the quivering of the woman's lip as she nodded her head.

"Yes, that's correct. He went out to pick up lumber to fix our back porch; when he still wasn't home by midnight, I phoned the police…and learned that my husband's disappearance was just one of many. There was nothing they could do…" Laura's blue-grey eyes filled with tears as she said this, and she bowed her head, her greying blonde hair falling loosely around her shoulders as she quaked with silent sobs.

Patty placed a sympathetic hand on Laura's shoulder, her sapphire eyes meeting Nero's. Despite only being fifteen, her eyes were haunted, holding the remembrance of fear, uncertainty, and sorrow far beyond her time.

The part devil wasn't sure why this surprised him, really; he had learned a great deal about Patty's early life from Dante and the others, along with from the teenaged girl, herself. Still, it was disconcerting for him to see such emotional depth in one so young. And yet, he couldn't deny whatever trials she had faced, it had done her a world of good. A lesser person would have cracked under the pressure; instead, Patty had grown into a force to be reckoned with. All she required was a little more time and polishing, and with any luck, she'd be strong enough to handle a small horde of demons on her own.

Along with continuing her training with the gun-blade Nero had created for her himself, the teenager was still receiving close-quarters combat training from all four of the experienced devil hunters; additionally, she'd also begun focusing on tapping into and utilizing her magical capabilities-the very talent that had been passed down to her by her long-deceased relative, Alan Lowell. In that, Trish and Lady had been exceptionally helpful, having found themselves immersed in the arcane arts quite often over the course of their lives; Trish in particular was well versed in it, making her the perfect mentor for the teenaged girl.

Nero returned his attention to Laura, her sobs dwindling to shaky breaths as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Patty continued to rub her back soothingly, murmuring words of comfort until the middle-aged woman had fully calmed down.

After a moment, Nero got to his feet, and stepped forward, resting his left hand on the distraught woman's shoulder. "I am truly sorry for your grief, Mrs. Jennings. I assure you, we will do everything in our power to get down to the bottom of your husband's disappearance."

Laura's eyes met his. Turmoil brewed in their depths, fear and uncertainty warring as they mixed with the slightest flicker of hopefulness.

"Please, if my husband is still alive…" Laura choked back a sob, her voice quavering. "Please, save him."

"We will do whatever it takes. I promise you." Nero vowed. He caught Patty looking at him out of the corner of his eye; the teenager wore the same resolve that he himself felt, but a shadow of uncertainty fell over her features.

He had a pretty good guess as to what she was thinking; yes, they would do everything they could-but would it be enough? Or would they be too late?

Whatever Patty was thinking, Nero couldn't blame her; time really was of the essence, especially in situations that reeked of the demonic nature.

_Man, of all the times for the old man to go on vacation._ The part devil couldn't help thinking with a mixture of annoyance and regret.

And to think, he had been so sure that he and Patty could handle things without him for the next three days. And now...well, now all he could do was hope they had everything under control.

The young hunter barely noticed when Laura thanked him, and rose from the couch. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he watched as Patty saw the woman out of the office, the teen not leaving the doorway until their client's car was out of sight.

As the door quietly shut behind her, Patty looked at Nero with eager expectation.

"What are we going to do, now?" She asked, lightly stroking the hand-guard of the gun-blade at her right hip, her fingers idly tracing the intricate, engraved lettering that spelled out 'Karma'.

Nero ran his Devil Bringer through his hair, the demonic arm thrumming a bright blue, resonating with the rising tide of irritation currently swelling within his chest. Without any leads, they didn't have the first clue of what they were looking for, or where to look. The only thing the young hunter was sure of was that demons were involved. In cases of this magnitude, demons were _always_ involved. A bunch of people with little to nothing in common disappearing, all around the same time, didn't occur in your ordinary, everyday line of work.

_Well, except for in the cases of cruise ships and plane crashes._ Nero amended, dropping his right arm at his side with a sigh.

Realizing that Patty was still waiting for him to answer, he self-consciously rubbed the back of his neck. "There really isn't much we _can_ do right now. We don't have enough information to go on. I guess the only thing to do now is go out on patrol, and hope we stumble across something."

Patty buttoned up her denim jacket, nodding thoughtfully at Nero's words as she did so.

While the teenaged girl performed a quick inspection of Karma, the part devil did the same with Blue Rose and Red Queen, making sure the revolver was fully loaded and that he had extra cartridges in his pockets. Revving the hilt of the durandal, he let out a satisfied grunt when it roared, igniting the flammable lubricant on the blade. Flames licked down from the hilt to the tip of the sword, dissipating as quickly as they had come.

Returning Red Queen to her spot across his back, Nero looked at Patty, meeting her eager anticipation with a tilt of his head, a wry smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"You ready?" He asked her, barely able to conceal the customary shiver travelling up his spine, the same one he always got when he was about to go out on a hunt.

Patty nodded at him, her eyes bright with enthusiasm.

Without another word, they headed out of the comfort of the _Devil May Cry_, out into the chilly autumn air, Nero taking the lead as they headed down the deserted cobblestoned streets.

* * *

Patty sighed, her breath forming a puff of steam in the crisp fall air as the teenager kept stride with Nero.

Three hours; they had been out patrolling for _three hours_, watching as the last of the sun's rays disappeared beyond the hills to be replaced by the artificial lighting of street lamps.

Three hours, in which not a single demon had been detected. Not by her pendant, nor by Nero's demonic arm; the only thing the devil hunter and trainee had come across was a group of teenagers setting off fireworks in the park. It seemed the rest of the people in the city were holed up in their homes.

_Probably thanks to all of the disappearances. _Patty guessed, brushing her bangs away from her eyes.

"We may as well call it a night." Nero murmured beside her, twirling Blue Rose around his finger and slipping it into its holster. "I don't think we're going to find any leads toni—"

He trailed off and stopped abruptly, his eyes staring straight ahead. Frowning, Patty looked in the same direction as the part devil, her own eyes widening at the sight they were met with. Despite the late hour, a dozen or so people milled around the outside of the _Devil May Cry_ building, their expressions varying from irritable to anxious and frightened.

"What the hell?" Nero muttered, the part devil making his way forward cautiously.

Patty remained rooted to the spot for a few seconds longer before deciding to slowly trail behind her mentor, Karma held tight in her grasp. The feel of the cool, smooth elder wood handgrip was comforting, the teen absently stroking the shard of Alan's Tear that Nero had embedded in the centre of the handgrip. The rest of the weapon was made of carbon steel, the gun a single-barreled revolver with a thin blade half the length of her forearm protruding from the tip of it.

The teen and part devil drew closer to the shop, the hollow echo of their foot falls drawing the attention of the people standing at the agency's doors.

"It's about time!"

"Oh, thank god! Are you the proprietor of _Devil May Cry_?"

"This is a detective agency, isn't it?"

"My daughter…please, you must help me! My daughter has gone missing!"

"My grandson…it's been all over the news…"

"Please, help us!"

Patty drew closer to Nero as the client's pressed in around them, casting a nervous glance up at him when he tensed up beside her, his breath hitching in his throat. If she had to guess, Nero wasn't comfortable being in large crowds, despite his upbringing in Fortuna.

"Whoa, everyone slow down." He ordered; his tone was one of strained patience, his hands held aloft to indicate he wanted silence.

Upon seeing his glowing right arm, many of the people drew back, gasping with mixtures of fear and shock. At this, Nero dropped the Devil Bringer back down at his side with a frown, though he did nothing else to indicate that he'd noticed their reaction. Patty watched as his facial features became impassive, a protective mask settling into place. If not for the fact that she knew Nero would never forgive her for it, she would have felt pity for him right then and there.

Deciding to save him from further scrutiny, she stepped forward.

"Yes, we are part of the _Devil May Cry_ agency. The proprietor is out on business, but if you would please step inside the office, we will take on each one of your cases in an orderly fashion." The authority in her voice surprised her, but she remained stoic, and ushered the clients in, propping the door open with her foot to allow them entry.

She caught the look of astonishment on Nero's face as well, before the young man began to follow the last of the customers into the office.

As he strolled passed her into the relative warmth of the building, he gave her one of his rare smiles; it wasn't his usual playful or condescending smirk, but a genuine expression of gratitude and wonder.

"Nice work, Patty." He murmured, patting her on the shoulder before making his way inside.

Patty felt her cheeks warm at the praise, and followed the part devil into the building.

"Here's what we're going to do." Nero announced to the room at large, many of the clients sitting comfortably on whatever available furniture space they could find, while the rest stood about, wringing their hands nervously. "I'll take care of half of you, and my young colleague here will take the other half. You will tell us, one at a time, what the problem is, and provide us with as much information as you can in regards to your case. So, if you would please stand in a line…"

The assorted clients hastened to do as the white-haired man said, quickly forming a line directly in front of him. One by one, he assigned the clients to Patty and himself as evenly as he could, the part devil having one more than the trainee.

Once they were divvied up, Nero took his group of seven over to Dante's large mahogany desk, and started taking down notes from the person closest to him.

Patty turned to her group, and motioned them back over to the sitting area, grabbing a pen and notepad from the edge of the desk as she did.

Kneeling down by the coffee table, she took down their names one at a time, jotting down quick notes about each one of their cases. Once she was done, she glanced up at the first client on her list.

"Jenna, is it?"

The petite woman with dark curls framing her face, for whom was the recipient of Patty's question, gave a sharp nod, her blue eyes glassy with unshed tears.

"Okay, Jenna. Why don't you start from the beginning, and tell me about your younger brother…"

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**And so concludes another chapter. I hope this is satisfactory. As always, please review with your thoughts, questions, and critique.**


	3. It's About Time!

**Hi, everybody! Wow, I actually put this chapter together a lot faster than I thought I would. No, seriously; earlier today, I was convinced it would take me until tomorrow, at least. But for some reason, it just took off with me. I guess my muse is being kind...for the time being. Let's hope that continues.**

**Anyway, a big thanks to those of you who have reviewed and added this to your favourites so far, or are currently following this. I really appreciate your support. :) **

**The plot continues to unfold, but we're not quite there, yet. Now I'm not so sure this will be done by the fifth chapter. It might go a chapter or two longer than that, lol. ^^; Well, either way, it'll still be a short story. I hope you guys are enjoying this so far.**

**Without further ado (well, aside from the disclaimer)...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Devil May Cry. I'd love to, but I don't. Goddamn it all. Anyway, it belongs to Capcom. I don't make a profit off of this; this is purely for entertainment.**

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**Chapter 3: It's About Time!**

"I love you, too. Okay, I'll talk to you tomorrow…okay, 'bye." Nero waited for the soft _click_ on the other side of the phone, sighing as he rested the antique receiver in its cradle. An uncomfortable burning sensation started deep in the pit of his stomach, the guilt intensifying in his chest as he thought of Kyrie. He missed her terribly, but his warm and loving wife had been more than understanding about his current situation. Even though he had arranged watching the shop for a few days with Dante several weeks before, the part devil still couldn't help feeling bad for leaving Kyrie all alone in Fortuna.

As he idly traced his finger over a knot in the gleaming mahogany wood of the desk he sat at, Nero supposed it could have been worse; three days wasn't that long, and even if he needed to extend that time, Kyrie was keeping herself busy with charity work. More importantly, she was safer back home, than she would have been here.

An involuntary shudder wracked his frame at the thought of Kyrie winding up in the middle of another demonic mess. As far as he was concerned, she had suffered more than enough at the hands of power hungry men and demons alike. No, it was far better for her to be safe and secure in Fortuna, under the protection of the newly formed Knights of the Order.

Nero looked around the room with bloodshot eyes, his gaze falling on the blonde teenaged girl curled up on the couch on the far side of the room, fast asleep.

The duo had been up well into the small hours of the morning, pouring over the statements they'd taken down from the thirteen unexpected clients they'd had that evening.

_Well, fourteen._ Nero corrected himself, feeling slightly guilty. Amidst all of the chaos that had come with the other clients showing up on their doorstep, he had nearly forgotten about Laura Jennings.

After two full pots of coffee and a short break to scarf down their re-heated spaghetti, Nero had declared they call it a night. Patty reluctantly had agreed, though from the way she passed out almost instantly, the part devil knew her hesitation stemmed not from some adolescent quirk to stay up as late as possible, but from the simple desire to help the missing victims.

The shrill ringing of the phone brought Nero out of his brooding, the young devil hunter snatching the phone up with his left hand. He cleared his throat as he brought the receiver to his ear, his voice coming out gruff just the same. "Devil May Cry."

"_If you want to save all of the victims before a single life is lost, listen to me very carefully…"_

Nero tensed with a sharp intake of breath, his grip tightening around the phone receiver. The voice on the other end was indiscernible. As far as the part devil could tell, it sounded like whoever had called was using some sort of voice modulator.

"I'm listening." He said through stiffened lips, swallowing against the sudden lump in his throat.

"_You don't have much time,"_ The deep, gravelly voice declared, _"In two nights the devils responsible will sacrifice the victims to their Overlord."_

Nero's eyes narrowed at this, the young hunter's breath coming out a hiss between his clenched teeth. "Who are you? How do you know any of this?"

"_There's no time for that,"_ The voice growled, _"You're just going to have to trust me."_

Nero was about to argue, but stopped himself. Though it was possible this was some kind of trap, the part devil couldn't afford to take that chance. There were too many lives on the line; if this was a trap, well…he'd just have to cross that bridge when he came to it.

"Fine," He relented with a sigh. "Tell me everything you know."

"_You haven't been able to find the common factor that connects all of the victims, correct?"_

The young hunter was really beginning to dislike whoever this was. "No, I haven't. Can you get to the point, already?"

The voice let out a throaty chuckle. _"Very well, young devil hunter. The answers you seek lie with the weaknesses of fear, curiosity, and desire inherent in all sentient beings. Each one of the victims suffered from one or the other, and so were lured in by the demonic forces that have dominion over such traits."_

Glancing down at the notes he had jotted down the night before, Nero couldn't help feeling that the enigmatic voice on the other end was right; from what he could recall, each one of the victims had been dealing with an increase of emotional and psychological stress according to those they left behind, just before they'd mysteriously vanished.

"Okay…and how would I go about finding said demons?" Nero pressed, his impatience with the voice growing by the minute.

"_Rumour has it that the devils have set up shop near the Lagoon. I can't tell you more than that."_

Before Nero could ask the mystery caller what they meant by that, the part devil received a sharp _click_ in his ear, the connection ending with the repetitive blaring of the dial tone.

"Shit!" He swore, running the clawed fingers of his demonic arm through his hair in irritation.

"What's up?"

His gaze flicked over to where Patty was. The girl stood in front of the couch, stretching her arms high above her head, her eyes still bleary from sleep.

Rising from the high-backed gothic chair, Nero grabbed his boots from where they sat next to the desk, and pulled them on.

"Get your gear together. We just got a lead," he declared, buckling the boots as tightly as he could without cutting off circulation, "Something to do with a demonic portal by the lagoon."

Patty stared at him in bewilderment for a moment, blinking several times before she spoke.

"There isn't a lagoon anywhere near here." She insisted, slowly making her way over to the white-haired man. "Are you sure you heard right?"

"Yeah, I'm positive." The part devil replied, frowning. "Though now that I think about it, they said it as though it was a title…" He trailed off thoughtfully.

Was it possible the voice wasn't referring to a literal lagoon, but rather to a place under that name? Come to think of it, hadn't he seen the word "Lagoon" on a sign somewhere?

"Hey, Patty…do you know if there any stores around here by that name?" He asked aloud, watching as her freckled visage turned into an expression of contemplation.

"You know, I think there _might_ be." She murmured. "Or at least I think there _was_. It might be long gone, by now."

Nero straightened up, and grabbed Blue Rose from the corner of the desk. He slipped the double-barreled revolver into its holster on his left hip, and proceeded to do the same with Red Queen across his back.

"Do you remember what kind of a place it is, or was?" He asked her, bringing the teen out of the trance-like state she seemed to have entered.

Patty gave her head a shake, her gaze re-focusing on the white-haired part devil as she mulled his question over.

"I _think_ it was a sports bar on the other side of town. I didn't spend much time on that side of town though, so I can't be sure."

"Well, it's the best lead we've got." Nero declared as he handed Patty extra ammunition. "Let's go. We've only got a couple more nights to figure this out, before all hell breaks loose."

Patty looked at him with a mixture of fear and confusion, but said nothing else. Taking the cartridge round from him, she slipped it into her coat pocket, her hand coming to lightly rest on Karma.

Pushing the double doors open, she led the way out into the early morning light, Nero casting a cursory glance behind them as they made their way down the eerily quiet street.

Matching the teenager's stride, he caught up to her, catching sight of the pensive expression on her face from the corner of his eye.

"Don't worry, Patty. We'll crack this case wide open, before anyone gets hurt." He gave her his most reassuring smile, though he couldn't quiet the nagging thoughts making their way to the forefront of his mind.

_If we fail…_

No, they wouldn't fail. Not when all of those people were depending on them. Something of what he was feeling must have shown, for Patty looked at him curiously, her steps faltering slightly as she studied him.

"So, we have a bit of a walk ahead of us, right?"

Patty nodded at this, one blonde eyebrow arching slightly.

"Well, I suppose there's no time like the present, then." He proceeded to fill her in on all that their anonymous caller had told him, the teen blanching slightly at the mention of human sacrifice.

Picking up on her urgency, Nero felt his own begin to grow and picked up his pace, Patty doing the same.

"Why don't we just take a cab?" She asked him, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face as the wind began to pick up around them, the scent of rain hanging heavily in the air.

Stopping dead, Nero smacked the palm of his normal hand to his forehead with a groan. Why hadn't _he_ thought of that?

Hearing Patty stifle a giggle, he attempted to glare at her, the expression completely and utterly failing as his face split into a wide grin.

"Cut me some slack," he snorted, "I had bigger things on my mind."

"I could tell." Patty declared with a snicker.

They both chuckled for a moment longer, before the teenager pulled her cell phone from her pocket. Nero watched as Patty quickly dialled what he assumed was the number for the taxi service. His assumption was confirmed, when she responded to whoever picked up on the other end.

"Hi, Reggie's Taxi? I need a cab at the Devil May Cry agency. Yup, that's the place," the teen answered, as the muffled voice confirmed the address. "I need to go to the opposite side of town. Anywhere will do. Okay thanks, 'bye."

She hung up, and returned the phone to her pocket.

"How long before they're here?" Nero asked her, shoving his own hands into his pockets.

"Ten minutes, tops."

"Good."

_Whoever our anonymous tipper is, they had better not be sending us on a wild goose chase. _He thought savagely, his right arm flashing in agitation. _Otherwise, I'll personally hunt them down, myself…and then they'll really have a lot to answer for!_

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**Well, there you have another chapter! I hope you've enjoyed it. Please R&R. :) **


	4. Yearning, Phobias, and Intrigue

**Hey, everyone! Yup, I'm back again. Don't ask me how I'm doing this so quickly; I honestly don't know what to tell you. The only thing I do know is this: I'm going to carpe diem for as long as I can with this overwhelming surge of writing. Why? Because I'm prone to lengthy dry spells, and I absolutely hate them. :( So, I'm taking advantage of this flow while I can.**

**Anyway, on to the chapter: first thing to note is in the case of "Phobias", I'm not speaking of the plural for phobia, but rather of a name. In this case, it is pronounced "Fo-Bee-us". **

**And so, the plot gets underway (finally, some action!)**

**As always, many thanks to those who have added this to their favourites, are following it, and/or have reviewed. Your continuing support means a lot to me. I really mean that. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Devil May Cry; it is the property of Capcom. This is non-profit, and purely for enjoyment.**

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**Chapter 4: Yearning, Phobias, and Intrigue**

Patty kept a steady gait as she and Nero made their way through the downtown core. Her sharp blue eyes took in every building and sign; her ears perked up at the rustle of every leaf scraping across the ground, and at every footfall of any soul brave enough to still be roaming the city streets despite the disappearances-though the latter was considerably less.

As far as the adolescent girl could tell, the better majority of civilians were either hiding in their homes, or had skipped town. Whatever the case, she certainly didn't blame them; this city had seen more than its fair share of demon activity, but it seldom had ever gone further than the residents could handle.

_That's because Dante has always been here to keep the devils at bay._ She thought dejectedly, her eyes falling to the pavement as she continued walking. _What if we're not good enough to protect the city while he's away…what if _I'm_ not good enough?_

Patty had no doubt in Nero's capabilities; casting a sidelong glance at the white-haired man keeping stride beside her, a small sigh escaped her lips. No, it wasn't Nero she doubted; if anything, she was certain the part devil would do better _without_ her tagging along.

_Snap out of it!_ She chastised herself. Now wasn't the time to be feeling sorry for herself-that's what Dante had always taught her. After everything he had done for her, she wasn't about to let him down, now.

And what about Nero, Lady, and Trish; hadn't they all gone above and beyond in their tutelage of the teenaged girl? Didn't she owe it to them as well to keep her head held high, and focus on the task at hand?

Giving herself one last mental shake, she returned her attention to the mission, her eyes flicking over each store sign they walked passed.

That's when she saw it, the lettering faded, with half of the 'N' missing; _'Lagoon'_.

"That's it!" She exclaimed, halting Nero in his tracks as she thrust her arm in front of him.

He looked up at the sign she indicated, his right arm flashing and pulsing just before the ground began to shake.

"What the hell is going on?" He ground out between clenched molars, his arm shooting out to grasp Patty by the shoulder to prevent her from falling.

The teen held fast to Nero's demonic forearm, wincing slightly at the powerful vibration travelling up and down her own arm as his continued to alert them to the danger they were in.

"A portal must be opening up inside of the building right now!" She shouted over the roaring of the buildings crumbling around them, the sound of steel bearings squealing in protest as they twisted under the strain of suddenly unstable brickwork.

The quaking ended just as quickly as it had come, Patty panting as she and Nero continued to grasp one another for support. Once she was certain the tremors were officially over, she relinquished her grip on the white-haired man's arm, straightening up to assess the damage. The entire block was in complete disarray; more than half of the shops had been reduced to rubble from the powerful earthquake, the few that still were standing not much better off, as most of their roofs had collapsed in on them.

The traffic lights that had once been hanging at the intersection had plummeted to the concrete below, the setting sun's rays glinting off of the fragments of red, yellow, and green glass. Power lines had snapped, the sound of electricity hissing and crackling breaking the silence of the derelict street.

Narrowing her eyes, Patty took a few tentative steps forward and peered through the grimy windows of the abandoned _Lagoon_ bar. Nero made a slight sound of protest in the back of his throat as he followed her, though otherwise didn't argue against her taking the initiative to investigate.

It was a sound Nero made all too often, anytime he was worried about the teenager's safety. Once upon a time, Patty would have turned her piercing gaze on him for it, but she had since become accustomed to it; not to mention this time around was an improvement to past times, when the part devil used to jump in front of her in an attempt to shield her from the danger.

Patty couldn't help but smile at the memories; despite her initial irritation with him for doing it, she was also touched by his level of protectiveness toward her. Much like Dante, she viewed Nero as being yet another big brother figure in her life.

Catching a flicker of movement on the other side of the glass, Patty dodged to the side just in time, the glass shattering around her as a massive claw swiped at her. Swiftly grabbing Karma from her hip, she brought the gun-blade up, slashing at the grotesque yellow palm of the demon with the bayonet.

A foul-smelling green liquid spurted from the wound, an ear-splitting shriek renting the air as the claw recoiled from the counterattack.

Clicking the hammer of the gun-blade back, Patty took aim, and pulled the trigger, bracing herself for the recoil of the revolver as she fired once, twice, three times.

Nero rushed passed her, the sound of Red Queen revving as he brought the sword forward in a horizontal sweep meeting her ears, the part devil lurching through the broken window.

Not wasting another second, Patty raced in after him, keeping her weapon at the ready as she entered the darkened building. Her gaze flicked around the room, making out the shape of the long forgotten bar countertop, sweeping passed the shattered, rotting wood of chairs and tables that littered the linoleum floor. Hearing Nero signal to her with a whistle several feet to her left, she turned her head in that direction, and slowly made her way toward him, Karma held in front of her. Nero left her field of vision, passing over the threshold that presumably led into what was once the sports bar's kitchen, Red Queen resting over his left shoulder.

_Where the hell did the demon go?_ Patty wondered. The sound of glass clinking caused her to whip around, her gaze falling on the shelves behind the bar. Before she had time to react, she was knocked over backward by the same claw that had broken the window moments earlier; she let out a pained grunt as the demon's knuckles connected with her cheek, tasting iron when the hit caused her to clamp her teeth down on her tongue.

She tumbled over backward, Karma flying from her hands as she crashed into the edge of one of the tables, the sound of splintering wood meeting her ears as a pained cry tore from her throat.

"Patty? Patty!"

She heard Nero shouting her name, the teen momentarily dazed as black and white spots danced in her vision, obscuring her view of the demon bearing down on her. She tried to move, only to realize that her arm was stuck in the wood of the table she'd fallen against, buried to the elbow in the splintered wood.

The scent of its rancid breath washed over her face, choking her, the creature mere seconds away from sinking its fangs into the trainee hunter. The unmistakable sound of Blue Rose firing met her ears, followed by an agonized shriek from the demon as it drew back.

As her vision cleared, Patty watched as Nero continued his assault against the devil, swapping his double-barreled revolver for his sword in a quick, fluid motion. He thrust the durandal forward, piercing the armoured chest of the lanky quadruped before performing an upward stroke that sent it flying backward, green blood squirting from the deep gash in its breastbone.

Frantically looking at the floor around her, Patty finally spotted Karma on the far side of the room, several paces away from where Nero was finishing the demon off.

Hearing the roar of another devil coming from upstairs, the teenager shouted.

"Nero! I'm stuck…I can't get Karma!"

The white-haired hunter dodged the devil, as it lanced out with its claw again in a last-ditch effort to take the human-demon hybrid down. Rolling to the side, his eyes landed on the gun-blade. Snatching it up with his Devil Bringer, he tossed it to Patty just before dodging another swipe from the devil, the teen catching it in her free hand with ease.

Using the butt of the revolver, she smashed through the wood trapping her arm, grunting in pain as some of the wood cut into her flesh, ripping the sleeve of her jacket. Wrenching her arm free, she jumped to her feet, and rushed to Nero's aid, the demon having finally landed a blow that sent the part devil crashing into the opposite wall.

Unloading the last three shots into the demon, she slid beneath its arm as it lashed out at her, pulling the refill cartridge from her pocket as she skidded to a stop in front of Nero.

She cast a backward glance at the part devil as she shoved the bullets into Karma's barrel, watching as he removed himself from the drywall.

"Are you okay, Nero?" She asked, firing a shot right between the demon's eyes, finishing it off.

Nero devil triggered at that exact moment, the katana known as Yamato appearing in his devil hand as a blue aura arced across his form, a large blue armoured avatar appearing behind him.

"Never been better."

No matter how many times she'd heard it, Patty still couldn't stop herself from shivering in reaction to the deeply haunting, demonic voice coming from Nero in his devil form.

"Good." She replied, making it a point not to show her discomfort to the part devil. Her eyes flicked over to the other side of the room as a horde of demons came pouring down the stairs, her mouth forming a grim line. "Because it looks like we're going to be busy for awhile."

* * *

"I'll ask you again," Nero growled as he held the barrel of Blue Rose against the demon's flattened snout, "where are you assholes keeping the people you've abducted?"

The mottled grey demon gave a great shudder, its crimson eyes widening in fright, mucous dribbling from the corners of its large mouth as it answered, "Okay, okay! I'll talk!"

Nero held his revolver steady, a threatening rumble going through his chest when the devil failed to continue. His lips quirked into a wry grin however, when his quarry heard the displeased growl, and hastened to give him the information he was after.

"We've been using this bar as a collection point," the demon stated, quivering under the white-haired man's scrutiny, "Lords Yearning, Phobias, and Intrigue send out their signals from here, calling the humans to this point."

Nero exchanged a look with Patty, the blonde frowning as she held Karma a few centimetres from the devil's temple. Returning his attention to the slimy, quaking mass of demonic flesh in front of him, he shifted into a more menacing stance, holding the Devil Bringer out for their captive to see.

The demon gasped, its eyes widening further as it stammered, "They rule over the weaknesses of desire, fear, and curiosity that dwell in the heart of humans. However, they're only able to call those who are afflicted by them the most."

_A little incentive goes a long way. _Nero mused, still smirking.

"And just what do these _lords_ plan to do with these humans, exactly?" The part devil prompted, the fingers of his demonic arm twitching threateningly.

When the demon hesitated, Nero brought the Devil Bringer forward, tightly gripping him around his fat neck. On cue, Patty pressed the tip of Karma's bayonet against the demon's temple, hard enough to emit a pained yelp from him, but not enough to pierce the thick skin.

"I believe my friend here asked you a question." The teen declared in a low, threatening tone, her sapphire eyes glinting dangerously.

Nero was thoroughly impressed with her level of ruthlessness, though he kept his expression impassive; he didn't want the demon to realize the girl was still wet behind the ears. He would just have to congratulate her, later.

The demon let out a whimper before he answered, his voice coming out strangled. "They're gathering them for their elder brother, Lord Dominus. The humans are intended as sacrifices, in order to return Lord Dominus to his full glory. Once his power is realized, the four of them will rule over all of the Demon Realm together."

Nero graced the demon with a sneer of contempt; he had learned long ago that power struggles were a frequently occurring theme in the Demon Realm, but he never stopped feeling disgusted by it.

"Where are the victims, now?" The part devil snarled, his grip tightening. It was becoming increasingly more difficult not to crush the demon's throat; if not for the fact that he needed information from the foul creature, he would have done so, already.

"I-I don't know…no, wait! I'm telling the truth!" The demon pleaded, yelping when Nero dug his claws into the base of his throat.

He relaxed his grip slightly, baring his teeth at the devil. "Then _guess_. Did your masters mention a general area?"

The demon seemed to consider this for a moment, its large red eyes clouding over before it spoke. "Lord Phobias did say something about a mansion belonging to one of the sacrifices…just on the outskirts of the city…just off of the freeway…" The last words came out amidst pained gasps, Nero realizing he'd unconsciously been squeezing the demon's neck tighter with each passing second.

Releasing the creature from his grasp, Nero took a cautious step back, motioning with his head for Patty to do the same. Both hunters kept their weapons trained on the slick devil, lest he try something underhanded.

"I've told you everything you wanted to know," the demon croaked, frightened eyes darting between both hunters, "will you spare me?"

"How do we know you won't go running to your masters, the moment we let you go?" Patty countered, Karma steady in front of her.

"Something tells me they already know." Nero declared, his gaze never leaving the demon's face. "Am I right?"

The demon gulped visibly. "Yes. When they set up their signals, they also performed a spell on us, their minions, as a means of keeping tabs on our progress."

"In that case, consider this your one and only chance to get the hell out of here, if you want to—"

Nero's tirade was cut off as the demon began to convulse, the creature frothing at the mouth and shrieking. The young devil hunter took a few hesitant steps back, cringing away from the intense heat being produced from the demon. Patty followed his lead, gasping as the heat reached near-painful temperatures around them.

_I guess the consequence for failure means death._ Nero concluded, his eyes widening as he saw bright, orange light pulsing beneath the demon's flesh.

Backing away more quickly, he realized the devil was about to explode. He dove toward Patty, shielding her body with his a split second before the blast, hell fire singeing him through his blue leather coat. He endured the pain silently, knowing his demonic blood would allow him to heal within moments, whereas Patty would be lucky to still be alive, if the roles were reversed.

The blast subsided, ending with chunks of the demon's flesh raining down around the charred remains of the sports bar.

Looking down, his eyes met Patty's, her sapphire orbs wide with fright. "Are you alright?" He asked her, his voice gentle.

Patty swallowed a few times before finally nodding, her voice quavering. "Y-yeah, I'm fine."

Standing, Nero pulled her to her feet, his nose wrinkling at the acrid aroma permeating the entire room.

Once Patty was done brushing herself off, they headed out the door, Nero shivering slightly at the drastic change in temperature from the hell fire blast to the cool evening air of autumn.

Looking up and down the street, he let out a frustrated sigh; there wasn't a cab in sight, and after all of the demonic activity, he knew they wouldn't be able to call one here, either.

He jumped slightly when Patty tapped him on the shoulder, giving her a searching look before he realized she was pointing to a car two intersections away from them. From what he could tell, the car was virtually unscathed. As long as the engine still worked and there was gas in the tank, he would have no problem hotwiring it.

Taking long, quick strides, he felt the corners of his mouth turn up into a grin, vaguely aware as Patty scrambled to keep up with him.

Reaching the car, he wrenched the driver's side door open, and leaned inside, ducking his head under the steering wheel to grasp the wires tucked underneath. Stripping the insulation from the tips, he touched them together, grinning broadly when they sparked, the engine roaring to life.

_It looks like our luck is turning around, after all._

Sliding into the driver's seat, he waited as Patty dashed to the other side of the car and got in next to him, clicking her seatbelt into place.

Hearing the satisfying _click_ as he did up his own, Nero threw the car in gear, and with the squealing of tires, they were off.

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**And so ends another chapter. But don't worry, there are more to come. Please read and review. :)**


	5. Patty's True Calling

**Hey everyone! I'm back with another chapter, and it looks like my original plan to make this about five chapters long has officially gone up in smoke. XD The plot continues on! Though this still will remain a short story; I'm just not sure how many more chapters are actually left. I'd say there's a maximum of five, just to give you guys an idea, but it may be shorter than that. Looks like I'll be as surprised as you guys...well, minus the fact that I know exactly where this is going. ;)**

**Anyway, I thank all of you who have reviewed or have added this to your favourites. Please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: (Man, do I ever get sick of doing this song and dance; it's not like they'd get a penny if they sued me, anyway...I kid, I kid! Don't be mad, Capcom!) Devil May Cry belongs to Capcom. I make no profit off of this; it is purely for entertainment purposes, only.**

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**Chapter 5: Patty's True Calling**

When Nero's right arm began to pulse a brilliant whitish blue, the part devil pulled the sedan over to the side of the winding road, cutting the engine as it rolled to a stop. Peering through the windshield, he saw that they still had quite a ways to go. Whoever the victim who owned the mansion was, they must have been very wealthy. The long and winding driveway seemed to continue on for another kilometre or so, bordered with dense forestry on both sides in the form of evergreens and silver birches.

In the time it had taken them to get this far, the last of the sun's light had disappeared from the sky, heavy brooding clouds seemingly rolling in from nowhere. Not that it would have mattered; it was night after all, and given that they were out in a sparsely populated area, the part devil wasn't the least surprised by how dark it had gotten. Fortunately, what demon blood he did have flowing in his veins had gifted him with very keen night vision.

As rain softly started to patter against the windows, Nero heaved a sigh, and wrenched the car door open. He heard the passenger side door creak open as Patty followed his lead, the teenager stepping out and slamming the door a split second after he had.

"We'll have to go on foot from here." He explained to her, though he suspected it was unnecessary, since she hadn't opened her mouth to question why he'd pulled over in the first place.

"It's just as well," Patty mused aloud, "this way we'll have the element of surprise on our side."

It was true; between his Devil Bringer warning him of the fact that they were getting closer to the danger, the part devil had likewise concluded that the engine of the old sedan would be loud enough to alert the devils of their approach long before they got there. Right now, they needed to err on the side of caution; they only had a vague idea of who the enemy was, and absolutely none of how large their forces might be.

Brushing rain-soaked strands of hair from his eyes, Nero gasped as his right arm began to pulse, dodging backward just in time. A yellow bolt of lightning struck the ground where he had just been standing, spraying dirt in every direction. Rolling off to the side, Nero jumped to his feet, pulling Blue Rose from his hip as he attempted to track the Blitz.

The air smelled strongly of O-zone as the lightning demon continued to streak haphazardly back and forth, not giving the hunter the chance to unload a charged shot into it.

Feeling a different type of energy undulating to his right, Nero looked over to see Patty encased in a column of indigo light, her eyes closed as she chanted an incantation under her breath. Power arced all around the teenaged girl, her blonde hair whipping around her face from the magical gale-wind her spell was producing.

The Blitz's teleporting finally ceased, the armoured devil appearing on the hood of the car between the hunters with a savage, elephantine roar.

Just as Nero was about to fire the shot, Patty's eyes popped open, a determined blaze in her sapphire orbs as she shouted, "Devil spear!"

Light burst forth from her outstretched hand, the beam splitting into several smaller ones that snaked and writhed forward, slamming full force into the Blitz. Chunks of bone snapped off and the demon went flying, pebbles scattering as it crash landed on the gravel road.

Nero leapt backward just in time to avoid the demon slamming into him. He blinked in surprise as he looked behind him at the lightning demon's shattered form. Patty's attack had broken away most of the Blitz's armour, revealing the unsteady core of energy beneath its ribcage.

As the Blitz rose unsteadily onto its hind legs, the yellow energy core turned red; Nero had learned long ago that this indicated the creature's attacks were about to become much more savage and desperate.

Casting a quick glance back at Patty, his eyebrows rose at the sight of her slumped on the ground, resting her forehead against the front right fender of the car. She was much paler than she had been mere seconds ago, her breathing coming out laboured.

_That attack must have drained her._ He concluded, returning his attention to the Blitz. Red static pulsed back and forth through the air, forcing the part devil to leap backward when a stray bolt lanced out at him. He landed on the roof of the car, balancing lightly on the balls of his feet as he followed the Blitz's movements with his eyes.

The moment the demon stopped moving, Nero released the charged shot he'd been holding onto with Blue Rose. Two brightly glowing bullets erupted from the chamber, hitting the Blitz's core dead centre.

The demon's body began to writhe in midair, pinpricks of light dancing all across the surface of the armour, snapping and fizzling. Nero let out a gasp, realizing too late that he was still within its blast radius. He brought his right arm up reflexively, screwing his eyes shut as he waited for the imminent explosion.

Being only a few feet away from it, the explosion was near-deafening; the blast echoed through the nearby trees, causing birds to take wing with frightened cries. Despite the explosion being nearly ear-shattering, Nero was surprised when he wasn't knocked over backward by the concussive force that normally resulted from a Blitz's self-destruct.

Warily cracking one eye open, the part devil let out an involuntary gasp, both eyes widening in shock at the transparent blue shield enveloping him. The Blitz was nowhere to be seen, the storm clouds that had rolled in only moments ago parting to reveal the brightly shining full moon.

Looking over his shoulder, Nero leapt off the car's roof, landing in a crouch next to Patty. The teen lay unconscious on her side, a small stream of blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

"Patty…Hey, wake up!" Nero cried hoarsely, supporting the girl's neck with his demonic arm as he gently patted her cheek with the other. Her face was waxen, soaked with perspiration; her chest rose and fell with erratic, shuddering breaths.

"Come on, Patty." The part devil pleaded. "Please, you've got to wake up. If anything happens to you…" His voice broke as panic took hold, the girl in his arms beginning to shiver violently when the wind picked up once again.

Casting a quick glance around to make sure no other demons were approaching, Nero pulled Patty closer, cradling her against him as he enfolded her in his midnight blue coat. The heat from his body must have been soothing, for it wasn't long before her shivers subsided, colour returning to her cheeks as her breathing evened out.

Her eyes fluttered open, pupils dilating and contracting as she looked up at him in mild confusion. "Nero? What happened…" she asked, attempting to sit up, only to fall back against him with a pained groan.

Nero frowned down at her, wrapping his arms around her slight frame as she fell limply against his side. "You mean you don't remember?"

"The last thing I remember is the Blitz going into supernova mode." The teen murmured, straightening up suddenly with a gasp. "Wait, you're okay! So I guess that means my shield—"

"Yeah," Nero cut her off, the corners of his mouth turning up into a smile, "your shield worked just fine."

Patty heaved a sigh of relief, closing her eyes as she rested her head against the part devil's chest. "Good. That's the first time I've been able to pull it off."

Nero regarded her thoughtfully for a moment, heartened by her quick recovery. If anything had happened to her, Dante would've ripped right into him-in which Nero would offer no resistance. As the elder hunter on this mission, it was his responsibility to ensure the protection and welfare of his subordinate.

"It looks like that particular spell takes a lot out of you," He remarked, "Try to only use it as a last resort from here on out, okay?"

Patty nodded her head in understanding, loose strands of hair falling over her face with the movement. They sat on the gravel road for several long moments, the part devil hesitant to push the trainee into action so soon after her ordeal.

Fortunately, he didn't have to; gritting her teeth, Patty struggled to stand, using the collar of Nero's jacket as an anchor as she pulled herself up. She stood on wobbly legs, her knees knocking together as she tried to steady herself.

When it looked as though her legs were about to buckle, Nero quickly got to his feet, catching the teen as she slumped forward against him.

"Sorry." Patty mumbled against his chest, her voice slightly choked with embarrassment.

Nero chuckled in response, and patted her on the back. "Don't worry about it; you'll get your strength back. Tell you what; we'll wait here for a few more minutes, and then we'll go bust up some bad guys. Agreed?"

Patty looked up at him with bright blue eyes, returning his grin with a timid smile of her own.

"It's a deal."

* * *

_Something's not right, here._ Patty frowned as she infused her bullets with her anti-demon magic, her powers bolstered by the shard of Alan's Tear in Karma's handgrip. With a quick pull of the trigger, she dropped the bloated Arachne, reducing its carcass to a thick, green, gelatinous puddle at her feet.

She wrinkled her nose as a pungent odour drifted up from the goo, the teen carefully sidestepping around it to come to a stop at Nero's side.

The white-haired man looked at her out of the corner of his eye, flicking slime off of the blade of Red Queen with a quick jerk of his wrist. "Does something about this seem…_off_ to you?" He asked her, gesturing at the pile of demon bodies further ahead of them.

Patty nodded her head, meeting his gaze with a pointed look of her own. "Well for one, _we _didn't kill those. For two, the bodies haven't disintegrated yet, which means—"

"—that whoever _did_ kill these demons is still nearby." Nero finished for her, resting the modified durandal on his shoulder as he cautiously paced in front of the bodies. Patty watched as Nero's eyes roved back and forth, narrowing as he peered between the trees on either side of the gravel road.

The teen tried to do the same, but her vision was nowhere near as acute as the part devil's. If anything was lurking out there in the pitch blackness of the forest, she couldn't see it. She would just have to rely on Nero to spot whoever or whatever was out there, and back him up if they found themselves under attack.

Cocking the hammer back on her gun-blade, Patty took slow, deliberate strides, shadowing Nero as he continued to scan the surrounding area. He looked down at his Devil Bringer two or three times, huffing in annoyance when the demon arm didn't flash in warning.

"Whoever did this, they must've already left." He declared, securing Red Queen across his back.

"Should we keep going, then?" Patty asked, resting Karma against her hip as she did one last cursory glance around them.

"Yeah, let's go." The part devil took the lead, the crunching of his boots over gravel the only sound on the eerily quiet road.

Glancing around, Patty started to feel a rising panic in her throat, her nostrils flaring as the overpowering scent of sulfur wafted over her face. Noticing that Nero's footfalls were becoming more distant, the teen scrambled after him, gravel shifting and scattering beneath her feet as she caught up to him.

When he cast a reproachful look over his shoulder at her, she felt her face flush, her gaze dropping to the ground.

_Get a grip! _She scolded herself, huffing slightly in disgust. _You're a bit too old to still be afraid of the dark._

Her eyes roamed back and forth, occasionally glancing over her shoulder every time she saw Nero do the same. She lost all concept of time as they continued on in companionable silence down the deserted road, her legs beginning to protest the swift gait they were maintaining.

Just when she was certain she couldn't take another step, a large house loomed into view.

Well, _house_ wasn't the word for it; it was massive, made up of impressive brown stonework accentuated with white fibreglass siding beneath the twin peaks of the roof. Patty could see at least three large bay windows on the main floor from where they were standing, one of which was lit up from inside. Heavy violet curtains covered the windows, negating any chance of the hunters sneaking a peek inside the magnificent house. The upper floor had about seven or eight small windows with the same deep violet hangings, belonging presumably to bedrooms and a bathroom.

Hearing a thrumming coming from her left, Patty glanced down at Nero's demonic arm, blue light flashing between the protective reddish scales encasing the Devil Bringer.

"I guess it's safe to say that this is the place." She stated meekly, hefting Karma up, the weight comforting in her hand.

Nero's lips twisted into a wry grin. "I'm thinking you're probably right."

* * *

"It looks like they've made it," the one figure remarked to its companions, "are you sure you don't want to handle this?"

It turned its gaze on the larger of the two companions, eyes glinting curiously in the darkened woods.

The larger figure shook its head, vaguely aware of the impatient shifting of the smallest figure off to the right.

When the larger figure didn't reply further, the other shrugged, turning back to watch as the white-haired man and blonde girl made their way toward the mansion.

It wasn't until they were inside that the larger figure finally decided to move, beckoning the other two to follow.

_Finally, now we'll see just how strong they really are._

* * *

**_Dun, dun, duuunnnn! XD As if it's not glaringly obvious...but perhaps it isn't? ;) Let me know what you think._**


	6. It Ain't over 'Til It's Over

**Hi everybody! Many apologies; this chapter took me longer than I intended. At any rate, I hope it's to your liking. :) Thanks again to all of you who have been reviewing and adding this story to your favourites. I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. here's hoping it continues to keep your interest.**

**I don't recall if I said this before, but if you've been missing Dante in this, rest assured, our beloved legendary Devil Hunter will make more of an appearance in later chapters. However, I will not say how much, or in what way. You'll just have to wait and see. ;)**

**Without further ado (feel free to ignore the disclaimer...which I'm sure you do every time, anyway).**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Devil May Cry; it is the property of Capcom. This fanfiction is non-profit, and purely for entertainment.**

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**Chapter 6: It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over**

Nero thrust the oak door open with enough force that it rebounded off of the interior wall, earning a look of mild alarm from Patty as he crossed the threshold into the mansion. He cast a sharp look around the sparsely furnished foyer, his eyes scanning over a small wooden stool next to a rack laden with shoes. The white tile beneath his feet gleamed brightly, a sole naked fluorescent bulb mounted in the stucco ceiling overhead.

He glanced over his shoulder, motioning with a jerk of his head for Patty to follow him. The trainee nodded her compliance, her grip tightening around Karma until her knuckles turned white.

Nero couldn't blame her for being nervous; the eerie silence of the house put him ill at ease as well, the part devil straining his ears for even the slightest of sounds, and hearing none. He stepped deftly around the stool, doing his best to keep his footfalls silent. The foyer opened up on the right into what he assumed was the living room, the soft green walls of the spacious room adorned with scenic paintings.

A slightly care-worn, black leather armchair sat over by the window seat, a glass end table sitting next to it. A sectional couch matching the armchair sat on the other side of the room, a moderately sized television set located against the opposite wall on top of a simple pine stand.

Nero padded into the room, Patty close behind him as they scanned over every picture frame, bookshelf, and lamp. The teenager suddenly lurched passed him, snatching up a framed photo from one of the smaller shelves. Her blue eyes went wide, her mouth hanging open.

Nero cautiously made his way over to where she was standing, his eyebrows drawing together as he peered over her shoulder at the groom and bride in the picture.

"Is that…?" He couldn't keep the note of surprise from his voice upon recognizing the woman in the picture, Patty nodding her head in reply without so much as a backward glance. Looking at the brilliant green eyes, he knew for certain that the slim, pretty brunette in the white dress was indeed a much younger Laura Jennings.

"This isn't good," Nero murmured, swallowing against the lump in his throat. "If the demons are using her house as their base, then it can only mean one of two things."

Patty set the picture down, her sad gaze meeting his. "Yeah, it's either she got away…or…" the teenager trailed off, her eyes welling up with tears.

It wasn't necessary for her to finish; they both knew what the alternative would be. Nero placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze.

"Come on," He murmured, gently pulling on her left hand with his right, Blue Rose cocked and ready in his left. "We haven't lost yet. Remember what Dante taught you?"

Patty followed along behind him, her gun-blade held at the ready. As they made their way out of the living room and down a hallway to the left, Nero chanced a furtive glance at the trainee, watching as she chewed her lip thoughtfully.

"He said discouragement at the onset of a mission leads to disastrous results. Or do you mean when he said, 'It ain't over 'til it's over, Patty'?"

He studied her for a few seconds longer, watching as her lips pulled into a small smile.

Nero was baffled with how Dante could be so eloquent one moment, and inarticulate the next. A soft laugh escaped him as he continued leading the way down the hall, the part devil occasionally peering into an open door along the way.

"Either one will do." He replied with a smirk, exhaling a slight huff of annoyance when he scanned the laundry room, and saw nothing suspicious.

"Sorry Nero," Patty rubbed her arm in embarrassment, the hunter watching as her face turned a deeper shade of pink, "I guess I let fear get the best of me, there. You're right, I need to focus on the here and now; otherwise I won't be able to help anyone."

"It's okay," He smiled back at her before returning to his room-by-room inspection. "It happens to the best of us; even the old man, himself."

Patty laughed lightly at this, the teen moving ahead of him to scan the opposite side of the hall. "He's not even that old. You just get a kick out of it when he checks to see if his waistline is going, yet."

Nero snickered in reply, his laughter fading as they approached a mirror hanging at the end of the hall. The part devil studied the intricate pattern on the brass framework of the mirror, his right arm undulating with energy when he stopped in front of it.

He watched Patty approach him from behind, her reflection frowning back at him as the pendant around her neck began to faintly glow.

Scanning the smooth surface of the mirror, Nero couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. As far as he could tell, it was just a regular mirror; there was nothing magical or malevolent about it.

Looking down at his right arm, he shook his head. _But the Devil Bringer doesn't react to just anything. If it's not the mirror, then maybe it's something behind the mirror…_

Casting a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure Patty was a safe enough distance behind him, Nero pulled the Devil Bringer back, and thrust it forward. The glass shattered instantly upon impact, the shards scattering loudly all over the hardwood floor.

Nero was vaguely aware of Patty's startled gasp, the part devil peering down the dark corridor before them as the last of the glass fell away. His silvery-white hair fluttered as a slight draft wafted up from the corridor, a flickering orange glow catching his eye further down.

He looked back at Patty, the trainee meeting his determined gaze with her own.

"Stick close," he told her, twirling Blue Rose around his index finger, "something tells me this party is about to get a whole hell of a lot crazier. We wouldn't want to get separated now, would we?"

Patty laughed quietly, Nero's lips twisting into a grin as he led the way through the opening of the mirror's frame. The duo stepped lightly as they followed the passageway, the sound of their boots crunching over cobblestones echoing softly as they went around a sudden bend on the right.

Nero swept his gaze back and forth, realizing the orange glow he'd seen earlier was coming from lit sconces lining the cinderblock walls. The flames flickered sporadically, the draft turning into a stronger gust the further he and Patty went.

"Just how long is this passageway, anyway?" No sooner had Patty uttered the words, when they stumbled upon a large red door accented with gold markings running around the outer edges.

Nero's demonic arm began vibrating more urgently, the brilliant white-blue glow now accented with hints of red. The part devil could see Patty's pendant reacting much the same way out of the corner of his eye, the blonde teenager holding it away from her neck as she studied the door's markings.

Exchanging a look, Nero and Patty reached for the door handle at the same time, and gave it a hard shove, the teen letting out a startled cry at what awaited them on the other side.

* * *

Patty gaped at the demon for a long moment, vaguely aware of Nero doing the same thing beside her.

Upon seeing the smooth, alabaster skin of the demon covered with black tattoos criss-crossing his chest, arms, and his face, the teen had no doubt in her mind that the figure in front of her was one of the demon lords responsible for the disappearing victims.

His eyes were a brilliant gold, made all the more frightening by the fact that he lacked pupils. His black hair was cropped short, except for the slight fringe that hung across his forehead. Poking out from beneath his feathery locks of hair were two perfectly pointed ears.

The demon was of slight build, wearing dark slacks and a vest with golden embroidery along the seams. Looking closer, Patty noticed the buttons of his vest were in the form of miniature skulls, causing an involuntary shudder to wrack her frame. Simple brown knee-high boots completed his ensemble, a two-sided kusarigama held in both hands, the chain slackened between them.

"So, you have made it here, after all." The demon's voice was a slightly high-pitched rasp, his pale lips pulling back to reveal teeth that were surprisingly reminiscent of human ones.

As the demon slowly made his way toward them, Patty snapped out of her stupor, Nero doing the same as he moved defensively in front of her.

"And just who the hell might you be?" The part devil sneered, the fingers of his Devil Bringer clenching into a tight fist.

"My, aren't _we_ uncouth." The demon wrinkled his elongated nose in disgust, his eyes flashing dangerously at the duo. "My name is Phobias; I am the youngest triplet in the service of our elder brother, Dominus."

"What have you done with all of those people?" Patty demanded, her finger caressing the trigger of her gun-blade as she glared at the demon around Nero's shoulder.

"Wouldn't you like to know, you filthy little insect." Phobias let out a sibilant chuckle, his gaze hardening as he studied the human girl.

Patty felt herself recoil slightly under his scrutiny, but refused to take a single step backward; she wasn't about to allow this pretentious demon lord a single iota of satisfaction from her.

A threatening rumble came from Nero, his cerulean eyes glinting dangerously as he glared at Phobias.

This only seemed to amuse the demon lord more, his laughter rebounding around the large circular chamber they stood in, the echo making Patty cringe as it assaulted her ears.

The adolescent was taken by surprise as Nero fell to his knees in front of her, a sharp cry escaping his throat as he clapped his hands over his ears.

"Nero! What's wrong?" Patty shouted, dropping down to her knees beside him. She gripped both of his shoulders tightly, shaking him when he didn't answer right away.

"I-I don't know…" Nero's voice was hoarse, his words coming out between clenched teeth. "When he laughed…I felt weak…I-I can't seem to stand…"

The part devil snarled as he attempted to rise to his feet, getting about halfway up before falling to his knees again.

"That's right, you lowly hybrid scum." Phobias hissed at him, a malevolent grin upon his face. "Remain on your knees in the presence of a true demon, just as you ought to."

Patty glared up at the demon lord at the same time that Nero growled, the trainee rising to her feet, pointing Karma at Phobias with a growl of her own. She didn't know what was going on, but whatever power he'd just used against Nero didn't seem to affect her.

Patty pulled the hammer back on Karma, stepping so that she was between Nero and Phobias as the demon lord approached. "I'll ask again; where are the victims?" She glared at him, never breaking stride as she kept the gun-blade trained on him.

"If you want to know, then you'll just have to beat me, wretched human."

Before Patty had time to react, a swirling black fog enveloped her, the teen letting out a startled cry when she realized she couldn't see anything. She quickly turned in a circle, scanning the floor where Nero had just been, only to realize she couldn't see it, either.

"Hey, what's going on? Just what the hell are you playing at?" She yelled to the room at large, whipping Karma to and fro, expecting Phobias to lash out at her with his chained-blade any moment.

A sudden lethargy stole over her, causing the teen to sink to her knees as Nero had, her chin resting against her chest.

_What's happening to me?_

Fear took hold of Patty, the adolescent shivering from the sensation of many icy fingers trailing along her spine. The darkness was all encompassing, choking her as she slipped further and further into its embrace. With a last whimper, she felt herself fading away, and fell unconscious.

* * *

Nero watched helplessly as Patty lost consciousness, the girl's anguished cry helping him find the strength necessary to stand again. Gritting his teeth, he stared the demon lord down, the fingers of his Devil Bringer clenching into a brightly flashing fist.

"You bastard," he ground out, "what have you done to Patty?!"

"There's no need for such vulgarity," Phobias smirked at him, "if you're so eager to find out, then I will show you."

The demon lord raised one of his hands high above his head, a swirling black mist bursting forth from his fingertips. Nero drew back with a snarl as the mist closed in around him, his Devil Bringer extended in front of him in a last ditch effort to defend himself.

When the black mist started pouring into the palm of his hand, Nero found his surprise mirrored on Phobias' face, the demon lord's jaw dropping as he watched the demonic hand suck the vapour into itself like a vacuum.

It had been such a long time since Nero had absorbed anything with it that it caught him off-guard. In fact, the last thing he'd absorbed was…

_Yamato!_

As he thought of the katana Dante had entrusted to him, it appeared in hand, the elegant blade wrapped in a brilliant indigo glow.

If Phobias had looked surprised by the part devil's ability to absorb the black mist, he looked even more so as his eyes landed on the familiar sword in hand.

"That…that belonged to a son of Sparda!" The demon lord all but spat the name, his lips pulling back into a contemptuous sneer.

Nero wasn't interested in wasting any more words, however; he cast a cursory glance over at Patty's still form, his anger peaking upon seeing her grey pallor. With a savage cry, he devil triggered, the blue armoured devil nebula rising up behind him as he raced forward.

Phobias' look of contempt was replaced by genuine fear then, the demon lord drawing back with his weapons held at the ready. He managed to block many of Nero's wild downward strokes with his kusarigama before the part devil broke through his defenses, unleashing a savage blue shockwave on him.

The demon lord was thrown across the room by the blast, his chain-blade falling to the ground with a sharp clatter. Nero rushed toward him, bringing Yamato's blade to the devil's chest before he could even rise up on his elbows.

Genuine fear lit his golden eyes, the demon lord breathing heavily as he stared up at the white-haired man.

"Now, are you going to tell me what I want to know," Nero pressed the tip of the blade against Phobias' chest, causing the devil to flinch, "or am I going to have to destroy you right here and now?"

The demon lord visibly trembled as he attempted to lean as far back as the wall behind him allowed. "A-Alright, I'll tell you." He licked his lips, his eyes darting between the part devil shrouded in the powerful blue aura and the blade pressed against his breastbone. "The information that the sacrifices were here was a false trail laid down by my brother Yearning, in order to give our eldest brother more time to prepare for the rite."

"So it was you who called with the false information." Nero growled, baring his teeth.

Phobias looked back at him in utter confusion. "I don't understand what you're talking about. Neither my siblings nor I called you."

The demon lord let out a yelp as Nero pushed Yamato harder into his chest, a bead of sweat trickling down his pale temple. "I'm telling the truth," he was beginning to babble now, his breath hitching in terror, "we merely told our minions to spread the word. We were too busy carrying out our own tasks to bother with something so menial."

Nero exhaled through his nose, carefully mulling over this piece of information. If the demon lords themselves hadn't called in with the information, then who had? Was it one of their minions, or had it been someone genuinely interested in helping him and Patty solve the case?

The part devil didn't know, but he was determined to find out. "Alright then, say I believe you on this one. That would mean you're willingly playing the decoy for your eldest brother? What a crock…"

"If I must lose my life so that my brother can reign over the Demon Realm and regain our father's honour, so be it." Phobias declared, the traces of fear he'd shown only moments ago disappearing to be replaced by grim acceptance. "But you will never find out where the sacrifices are being kept, not before my brother makes full use of them-by which time it will be too late."

Faintly hearing Patty whimper behind him, and knowing the demon lord genuinely meant it when he said he'd die before giving him the information he was after, Nero decided to switch tactics. "I beg to differ. Now, tell me what you've done to my friend there," he replied brusquely, "or I promise, I will make you die in the slowest, most painful way imaginable."

* * *

When Phobias had refused to give Nero the information of what he'd done to Patty, the young hunter had ended his life right then and there, unleashing a furious attack with the energy daggers that his devil trigger and Yamato imparted him with.

Satisfied as the demon lord took his final breath, the part devil watched as he burst into ethereal blue flames, nothing but a pile of blackened ash left behind him.

Rushing to where Patty lay writhing and screaming on the ground, Nero dropped to his knees and placed his Devil Bringer above her head, his eyes closing as he concentrated. Upon ending Phobias' life, it had dawned on the young hunter that if he was able to absorb the black mist from the air, he might be able to do the same with whatever Phobias had used against the teenaged girl. In fact, he suspected that the black mist was _exactly_ what Phobias had used against her, even though Nero hadn't seen it himself; the fact that Phobias was a demon lord of fear meant he probably used illusions to ensnare his victims, and defeat his enemies.

Feeling the power coursing through his arm, his suspicions were confirmed. Nero focused with all of his might on removing every last speck of Phobias' essence from Patty's being. It seemed to be working, for the adolescent's cries had dwindled to soft moans, her limbs going still.

Once Patty fell silent, Nero leaned back on his haunches, carefully examining the girl before scooping her up in his arms. Looking intently at her face, he was relieved as the grey melted away to reveal the soft blush of her cheeks, the teen's eyes fluttering open to meet his.

"Nero…I'm sorry…I tried to protect you, but I wasn't strong enough…" Her voice came out barely a whisper, a solitary tear sliding down her cheek.

A lump formed in Nero's throat as he cradled her closer to his chest, the part devil swallowing several times before he found his voice. "No, don't be sorry, Patty. It wasn't your fault, alright? Phobias was a lot stronger than either of us realized."

His tone grew bitter as he continued on. "I couldn't get him to divulge the location of the victims. It seems we've been had."

Confusion flashed across Patty's face, the trainee appearing to struggle between her curiosity and the fatigue that stole over her.

The fatigue won out, Patty's form going limp in Nero's arms. Feeling the pulse in her neck, the young hunter let out a sigh, and started the return journey out of the mansion.

As he made his way back out into the hall of the extravagant house, he found that he had to remind himself of Dante's words, just as he had reminded Patty not so long ago.

_Discouragement at the onset of a mission leads to disastrous results._

As he headed out the door, his lips pulled into a faint smirk, the part devil muttering under his breath, "It ain't over 'til it's over."

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**Finally complete! This chapter took me a lot longer than it should have. I blame life, lol. Please review. **


	7. Hell Hath No Fury

**I'm so sorry for the wait, everyone! You know how it goes; life gets in the way, sometimes. In any case, I really hope this chapter is to your liking. Please feel free to review with your thoughts.**

**As always, I give my thanks to all of you who have reviewed so far, and for those of you following this and/or adding it to your favourites. I really, truly appreciate your support. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Devil May Cry, or the characters herein; they are the property of Capcom. This is non-profit; I am merely borrowing the characters for entertainment purposes.**

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**Chapter 7: Hell Hath No Fury**

"We only have until sometime tomorrow night," Patty argued, ignoring the look of strained patience on Nero's face, "we don't even know what _time_ we have until! Now isn't the time to be worrying about me."

Nero paced in front of Dante's desk, finally coming to a stop and placing both hands along the edge as he looked the teenager dead in the eye. "Phobias could have _killed_ you! The fact that he was used as the decoy suggests he isn't even the strongest of the triplets, let alone strongest of all four siblings. And you just want to rush in, gun drawn, and hope for the best?"

Patty leaned across from the opposite side of the desk, matching the white-haired man's obstinacy. "What about the victims, Nero? What about Laura and her husband? What about Jenna's younger brother, the Emerson's daughter, the—"

Patty stopped as Nero held up a hand, sighing in exasperation. "I get the idea, Patty."

"No, I don't think you do," She sniffed stubbornly, never faltering as she stared the part devil down, "they're counting on us to save them! That's what we're here for!"

"We can't save anyone if we get killed in the process. Besides, we don't even know where—"

Nero's rebuttal was cut off by the sharp ringing of the antique phone, the young hunter heaving an agitated sigh as he brought the receiver to his ear. "Devil May Cry…"

When Nero suddenly became alert, his blue eyes flashing, Patty quickly forgot all about their argument. She leaned in as close as the desk between them allowed, straining to hear the voice from the other end of the phone line.

There was a long pause as the part devil listened to whoever it was, his lips curling into an angry sneer. "How do I know I can trust you with the information you're giving me? Last time I did, it got us nowhere."

_It must be the anonymous caller again. _Patty realized, her ears perking up further despite the fact that she couldn't hear the exchange, herself.

The teen watched closely as Nero's expression relaxed, though it was clear that he only did so grudgingly. His sapphire eyes were still narrowed in suspicion, his jaw twitching as he listened to whatever was being said to him.

"So we have until eight tomorrow night? You're sure about this?"

Patty felt herself becoming more restless by the minute, the trainee desperate to know what leads the anonymous caller was giving them. She waited in silence, watching as Nero's expression melted into a mixture of relief and resignation.

"Alright…okay. Whoever you are, I hope you're right this time...and…well, thank you." The part devil seemed to struggle with those last words, a slight blush creeping up his neck and into his cheeks.

He hung up the phone, his eyes unfocused as he stared at the gleaming surface of the desk. The teen waited expectantly for him to fill her in on the anonymous caller's information, her heart hammering in her ears.

"It seems we've caught another break," Nero said after what felt like an eternity, "apparently, there's a portal behind City Hall that leads to the victims' location."

Patty straightened up, absently digging her fingers into the polished wooden desk. "Are we sure we can trust our anon tipper again?" She asked, not bothering to conceal her trepidation.

"At this point, we don't have much of a choice."

She couldn't argue with him, there; they only had a little more than twenty-four hours to spare, before all hell broke loose…literally.

Deciding not to waste another moment, Patty set to work, gathering up her gun-blade and the extra cartridges of ammunition stacked on the corner of the desk.

"Hey, whoa…wait a minute!" Nero sputtered in protest, stepping in front of Patty just as she reached for her jacket. "What do you think you're doing?"

Patty stared the part devil down for several long seconds, exhaling through her nose slowly to prevent herself from snapping at him. "We don't have time for this again, Nero. People's lives are on the line."

Patty's stomach tightened at the pained expression that flashed across Nero's face, his eyes suddenly weary with the sadness they beheld. He brought his hands up halfway in a helpless gesture before letting them fall back down at his sides, a soft sigh drifting from his lips.

"Patty, I…" The young man seemed to be at a loss for what to say, though the look in his eyes said it all.

Patty reached up then, placing her hands on Nero's shoulders as she rested her forehead against his collarbone. "I'm sorry, Nero…I shouldn't have snapped at you. I know you're just worried about me." She felt hot tears pricking the corners of her eyes, and continued on, her voice thick with emotion. "But please, don't leave me behind. If you do, and something happens to you…how do you think _I'll_ feel?"

She drew back slightly, and peered up into the part devil's eyes. Dawning lit them from within; it appeared that he finally understood she was every bit as afraid for his safety, as he was for hers. The next thing Patty knew, Nero pulled her into a tight hug, the hunter resting his chin on the top of her head.

"Alright," He said after a moment, his voice coming out hoarse. "You win. Just please…be more careful, okay?"

Patty pulled away from him, nodding as she met his gaze. "I will, I promise."

"Okay then." Nero grabbed his weapons from the centre of the desk, casting a grin her way as he headed for the door. "Then let's say we get this rescue mission underway?"

* * *

Thanks to the sedan they'd found the day before, Nero and Patty made it to City Hall rather quickly. However, the more pressing issue came in finding the portal that lay somewhere _behind_ the newly dilapidated building.

Making their way around the wide perimeter of the structure, they both let out groans of despair; behind the premises was a vast expanse of lush forestry. If the portal was somewhere in there, they would find it-but with the forest being as large as it was, and with the lives of the victims hanging in the balance, time was of the essence. They could ill afford to sweep the entire forest from one side to the other; they needed a plan.

This is what Nero was thinking about, when Patty rapped him on the shoulder with her knuckles. The teen made her way passed him, holding her pendant out in front of her. A thin beam of blue light burst forth from the stone's centre, the light acting as a guide as it pointed to a thin path leading down into the dark forest.

When Nero didn't immediately start following her, Patty looked over her shoulder at him as if to say, _'Well, are you coming? We're burning daylight, here'._

Nodding, he hefted Blue Rose so that the revolver sat more comfortably in his grasp, his index finger lightly caressing the blue rose engraved along the side of the barrel. As he followed the teen down the small hill that led to the footpath, the part devil deftly stepping through the overgrown brush that formed the vast majority of the hillside, he couldn't help but marvel at the rapid rate of Patty's development into becoming a devil hunter. It seemed the better she got, the stronger the power of her pendant became.

His thoughts were interrupted, as he caught the unmistakable scent of sulfur from the sudden gust of wind that came from deep within the forest. Nero quickened his stride, keeping close to Patty as he looked shrewdly between the trees that lined either side of the thin path.

He started charging his revolver with demonic power when his Devil Bringer pulsed in warning, watching as Patty's gun-blade glowed violet while she charged it with her own anti-demon magic. The shard of Alan's Tear set in the handgrip flashed, storing the energy until the adolescent had need of it.

Neither one of them had to wait long; leaves rustled as a dozen or more Hells ambushed them from either side of the path, consisting of Sloth and Pride classes.

_Good, we'll make short work of these guys, and then we can move on to the _actual_ fight._

Nero pulled the trigger, watching in wry amusement when the two charged bullets slammed into a Pride, lifting it off its feet and sending it crashing into the thick trunk of an oak tree. The scythe it had been holding seconds before clattered to the ground, the part devil taking this opportunity to charge in with Red Queen in hand.

Meanwhile, Patty released her own attack, the clinking of spent casings reaching Nero's ears as the teen unloaded her gun on six of the scythe-wielding demons at once. He revved the handle of the durandal, unleashing a fiery attack that put an end to the downed Hell Pride's life in a solitary stroke. Spinning on the balls of his feet to meet three Hell Sloths as they appeared before him, he was vaguely aware of Patty reloading her weapon while unleashing a powerful energy blast with help from her pendant.

The demon blood within him wanted to recoil at the blinding light surrounding the teenaged girl, but his predominate human side endured, bringing his focus back to the task at hand.

Summoning Yamato into his demonic hand, he imbued the blades of both the katana and durandal with his demonic energy, unleashing a powerful shockwave that bowled his enemies over when he brought both swords forward.

As the Sloths evaporated before his eyes, Nero recalled Yamato to its place within the Devil Bringer, and slung Red Queen across his back. Returning his attention to Patty, he grinned while the adolescent finished off the last of the Hells with the attack she'd dubbed _'Devil Spear'_, the beams of anti-demon magic slicing through the devils like hot butter.

Once the last demon corpse had disintegrated, both the hunter and trainee scanned the surrounding area, just in case there were more enemies waiting to ambush them. Finding none, Nero returned Blue Rose to its holster, Patty mimicking him as she secured Karma at her hip.

Glancing at the teen, he realized she didn't look as worn out as she had the last time she'd used her magic; though she was somewhat pale, she lacked the sheen of perspiration that had accompanied it last time. When her pendant shot a beam of light forth for them to follow again, her strides were strong, surefooted.

Trailing behind her, Nero shook his head in wonder. _She's gotten a lot stronger than I ever could have realized-or hoped for._

Peering around them surreptitiously, he glanced over his shoulder one last time to ensure they weren't being followed. Satisfied that they were indeed alone, the part devil quickened his strides, determined to stick to the teenager like a second shadow.

_I've failed you twice already. _He thought bitterly, _I won't do so again. I will protect you this time; that's _my_ promise to _you_._

* * *

The moment they stepped through the portal, Patty dropped to one knee, sweeping her gun-blade back and forth expectantly. Surprised when no enemies came to meet them, she rose to her feet with a sigh.

Shielding her eyes against the midday sun, the teen looked up and down the street, only noticing a few people wandering to and fro on whatever tasks they had for the day. Exchanging a puzzled look with Nero, she let out a startled gasp when her pendant flashed a brilliant blue, the beam of light meeting what looked to be a condemned apartment building.

"There's no doubt about it," Nero declared, extending his pulsating demonic arm for emphasis, "there's definitely something in there."

Patty gripped Karma with both hands as she moved quickly toward the building, Nero hot on her heels. As she leaned up against the side of the grey-bricked building, she arched an eyebrow at him. "Now the _real_ question is: will we find the victims in there, or have we been sent on yet another wild goose chase?"

The part devil pressed his back against the wall on the opposite side of the entrance from her, the index finger of his left hand resting lightly on the trigger of Blue Rose. "There's only one way to find out…"

With that, Nero led the way, Patty casting a furtive glance behind her as she followed him.

As they approached the entrance's glass doors, Patty's eyes went wide with shock; on the other side of the door lay a pile of demon carcasses. _What the hell is going on, here?_ She wondered, looking at Nero questioningly.

The hunter shrugged his shoulders, his eyebrows knitting together when his gaze dropped back down to the corpses. His lips twisted into a frown, a speculative expression darkening his face.

Returning her gaze to the bodies, Patty suddenly understood why; there was something very familiar about those wounds…

"C'mon, let's get going." Nero interrupted her thoughts, the part devil yanking the metal door open with more force than what was necessary.

Frowning, Patty studied him for a few seconds before entering the building, a slight chill going up her spine. Something about the look in Nero's eyes was unsettling; had he been thinking the same thing she had mere seconds before?

Tiptoeing around the corpses, she mentally shook herself. Now was not the time to be daydreaming; they had a job to do. Taking slow, cautious steps, she made her way into the large, high-ceilinged foyer of the apartment. She could hear the dull thuds of Nero's boots behind her, the occasional rustle of his leather jacket as it swished against the back of his legs.

Slowly exhaling the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, Patty took in the cracked white marble flooring and green paint peeling off of the walls, her gaze finally coming to rest on a crumbling staircase far to the left. Glancing back at Nero, the part devil nodded at her, and without so much as a word passed between them, the duo started their ascent up the steps.

* * *

As they finally made their way to the top floor, Nero was surprised to see that they were standing in a rather large apartment flat. The hardwood floor gleamed as sunlight poured onto it through the large window opposite from where he and Patty stood, the eggshell white walls riddled with holes where pictures had once hung. There was no furniture in the room save for the few appliances that apparently came with the apartment, the part devil hearing the distant hum of the refrigerator coming from behind a half wall to their left.

None of this mattered to Nero however; two figures suddenly materialized before his eyes, the part devil letting out a growl as he moved protectively in front of Patty. The teen let out a slight gasp, bringing her weapon up when she realized what had set the hunter off.

The first figure was tall and slender, his skin a rich charcoal colour. His eyes were an alarmingly bright green, the pupils of which were vertical slits. His shoulder-length silver hair was swept back, revealing long, pointed ears on either side of his regal jawline. He was covered from head to toe in chainmail, accented with brass guards on his shoulders, forearms, and shins. A red cape was draped over his shoulders, his whip-like tail grazing the bottom hem as it lazily dragged back and forth across the floor. His clawed feet were bare, his arms covered with many straps containing what looked to be throwing knives.

When he sneered at Nero and Patty, he revealed gleaming, prominent white fangs. Nero did his best to shield Patty more discreetly, but from the flicker of amusement in the devil's eyes, his efforts had been wasted.

The female devil next to him let out a titter that grated on Nero's nerves, his Devil Bringer thrumming in response to the displeasure he experienced at hearing the high-pitched sound. Narrowing his eyes at the slate grey she-devil, he couldn't help noticing the deep violet of her eyes, her dark purple lips pulling back into a knowing smile to reveal fangs much like the male devil next to her.

_These must be the two remaining triplets. _Nero realized. A warning rumble went through his chest without him consciously acting on it, baring his teeth as he cast a wary eye over the female devil's voluptuous form, barely concealed by the flowing royal blue gown that clung to her body in all the right places. A silver belt sat over her hips, the part devil taking notice of the many small vials strapped to it, each one containing a different coloured liquid within.

As the female devil slowly made her way toward them, her stilettos clacking over the hardwood floor, Nero was surprised to hear a rather guttural growl come from Patty. Chancing a glance back at her, he saw that the teen was in a defensive stance, holding Karma steadily in front of her, her eyes flashing dangerously at the demon's approach.

"My, my," the female devil said in a sultry tone, tossing her long, wavy black hair over her shoulder, her eyes glinting with amusement. "Aren't _you_ quite the little spitfire! What's got you so worked up there, sweetie? Afraid I'll steal your handsome little boyfriend from you? Surely you must have noticed how he ravaged me with those pretty blue eyes of his."

Nero met Patty's gaze, willing her to see the warning in his eyes. It seemed to have worked, for the blonde teen didn't lose her cool as she calmly retorted, "Boyfriend? Please. The only thing more disturbing than that would be to date my own brother, if I had one. Or is that the kind of thing _you're_ into?"

Nero suddenly found himself having to choke back the laughter that threatened to spill from his lips, his eyes tearing up as he silently pleaded with the teen to refrain from making further comments of that nature.

Patty's gaze flicked back and forth between the hunter and the female devil, a faint smirk on her lips as she gave him a nearly imperceptible shrug in apology. Composing himself, Nero returned his attention to the devils, smirking at the look of unbridled fury on the she-devil's face. Her brother's expression remained impassive, though his eyes glinted dangerously. Seeing the promise of wrathful vengeance, Nero sobered up quickly, his gun drawn and at the ready.

As the female devil coiled to pounce, her long, manicured fingers curling into claws, her brother spoke in a soft warning tone, his voice carefully modulated. "Patience, Intrigue."

As the female devil shot a look of barely contained rage in her brother's direction, Nero's gaze rested on the male devil, his blue eyes meeting acid green ones. "So, I guess that makes you Yearning then, huh?"

"That's _Lord_ Yearning, you filthy hybrid." Intrigue whirled around to glare at the young hunter, her words coming out a savage hiss.

"Calm yourself, dear sister." Yearning admonished her mildly, grinning broadly as his eyes bore into Nero's. "Soon enough they will show me the respect I deserve, as they beg me for the mercy they shall _never_ receive."

Knowing there was no mistaking his words for idle threats, Nero had to force himself not to swallow against the sudden tightness in his throat. If they didn't defeat these demons here and now, Yearning would make good on his promise; Nero didn't want to even entertain the thought of what would happen to Patty, should the devils succeed.

_I won't let that happen!_

Steeling his resolve, Nero let out a savage growl, and the battle began.

* * *

**Phew! Finally done; I was beginning to worry that it would take me another day or two.**

**As you can see, it's a cliff-hanger. I know, I know; I'm evil. But with any luck, you won't have to wait long for chapter 8. ;) Stay tuned! Oh, and please review!**


	8. Didja Miss Me?

**'Ello, 'ello, 'ello! Good day, everyone! Here's another chapter for you all, and one I think (hope) you will enjoy. I really, really enjoyed writing this chapter; probably a great deal more than I should have. If there are any typos or omitted words, please do tell me. I've proof-read it a bunch, but I always seem to miss something.**

**At any rate, if you've been missing a certain _someone,_ *cough* hopefully this will make you feel better. I missed _someone_, too, as it turns out. :P**

**Anyway, thanks to those of you who continue to review and add to your favourites; your support is much appreciated!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Devil May Cry, or the characters; they are ze property of Capcom. This is non-profit, and purely for entertainment, only.**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Didja Miss Me?**

Nero grabbed hold of Patty's arm and pulled her off to the side as one of Yearning's throwing knives sailed through the air, the blade bouncing off of the wall behind where they'd just been standing, and clattering to the floor.

Without missing a beat, Nero held Blue Rose steady in front of him and fired, two bullets bursting from the double-barreled revolver to slam into Yearning's shoulder. The devil of desire reeled, an angry snarl tearing from his throat as he clutched his bloody wound, his eyes flashing as he turned his glare on the young hunter.

Feeling his right arm beginning to thrum, the part devil knew there was no time to stand gaping at the enemy. Sure enough, the Devil Bringer's warning proved true; Intrigue teleported behind him and Patty, the she-devil swiping at them with a well-manicured hand.

Fortunately, both the hunter and trainee had anticipated the attack; Patty dodged to the right at the same time that Nero dodged to the left, both of them bringing their guns to bear on Intrigue.

Blue Rose and Karma rang out in unison, the bullets of both guns imbedding in the walls opposite as Intrigue vanished in the blink of an eye. Cursing under his breath, Nero holstered the revolver and grabbed Red Queen from over his shoulder, deflecting more of Yearning's throwing knives as Patty open-fired on the devil.

Intrigue appeared next to him then, the female devil tightly grabbing a tuft of his hair and yanking his head back. Nero let out a grunt of pain, the sound changing to a gasp when he felt the tip of a sharp blade pressing against the base of his throat.

He heard Patty call out his name a split second before the unmistakable sound of Karma's gunfire rent the air, the part devil falling to his knees as Intrigue's hold on him slackened. Glancing behind him quickly, he realized the female devil had teleported again, for she no longer stood behind him.

As the sound of blades sang through the air, Nero leapt forward, performing a handspring as he somersaulted over another barrage of throwing blades that Yearning had launched at him.

"This game of cat and mouse is getting old," he grumbled, "I think it's time to up the ante."

Just as he was preparing to call upon his devil form, Intrigue appeared directly in front of him, her nose nearly touching his as she whispered, "I couldn't agree more, young hybrid."

Nero didn't have time to react as Intrigue doused him with the contents of one of her vials, the strange pink liquid trickling down his jawline to pool in the collar of his jacket. The part devil retreated a few steps, shaking his head in disgust as he tried to wipe the potion off of him.

"What the hell is this?" He snarled, preparing to launch his Devil Bringer forward only to stop when his glare fell on Intrigue. In that instant, Nero found he was unable to control himself; he tried to devil trigger, but nothing happened; the usual surge of power he felt within his veins in times of duress wouldn't come to him. Next, he tried commanding his legs to carry him forward, only to have his knees buckle under him, forcing him to kneel before the she-devil.

He glared up at her with as much venom as he could muster, which apparently was more than enough, for Intrigue shrieked with laughter. "So you've fallen for me after all, my little hybrid." She crooned, bending down to grip his chin between her fingers.

Nero wanted to recoil, but whatever Intrigue had thrown on him was preventing him from acting of his own accord; it seemed the only things he did have control over were his facial expressions.

_And a fat load of good that's doing me!_

Despite the peril he found himself in, the young hunter chanced a glance behind the she-devil, relieved to see that Patty was still holding up quite well against Yearning. In fact, she was doing better than just holding up; the teenager was unleashing a barrage of magical attacks on the devil, her gaze flicking discreetly in Nero's direction. From the firm set of her lips, the part devil could only assume her anger at seeing him in his current predicament fuelled her determination.

Beams of energy lanced out, slamming into multiple points of Yearning's body; the devil barely had time to recover before the trainee assaulted him with a shockwave of magical energy, the indigo light throwing him through the drywall behind him.

The crash diverted Intrigue's attention from Nero, the female devil's violet eyes widening in disbelief as she watched her brother climb out of the hole in the wall. "Impossible." She breathed.

Nero could feel the effects of the potion wearing off, the part devil managing to wiggle his fingers slightly. _Well, that didn't last very long._ He mused. Though if he'd had to guess, the potion's effects would have lasted much longer on an ordinary human; otherwise the demon lords wouldn't have been as successful luring their victims in as they had been.

"Heh...'Impossible' is what we do best." The part devil declared through clenched teeth, rising to his feet.

As Intrigue's head whipped around at the sound of his voice, Nero brought his right fist back, and slammed the female devil into the floor with the enlarged version of his Devil Bringer.

Nero smirked triumphantly as he heard the sound of many glass vials shattering on impact, Intrigue letting out an anguished howl at the sound of her potions dripping through the now cracked flooring.

The part devil didn't have long to celebrate however, as a strange sensation began pulsing up through his right arm, his vision blurring as all sensation left his body.

_What the hell is happening to me?!_ He thought frantically, not even feeling it when he fell sideways onto the hardwood floor with a dull _thud_.

As consciousness slipped away from him, he was vaguely aware of Patty frantically calling his name.

_I've failed you again…I'm so sorry…Patty…_

* * *

Patty watched as Nero fell, the scene playing out before her as though someone had slowed it down with the press of a button on a television remote. As the hunter's cheek came to rest against the floor, everything seemed to speed up again, the teen staggering back as Yearning lashed out at her with a short sword he'd pulled from his hip.

She let out a gasp as the blade met flesh, a shallow gash running from the outside of her wrist to her elbow. Gritting her teeth against the pain, Patty brought her gun-blade forward, emptying the barrel on the devil as she quickly backed away from him. Blood trickled down the length of her arm, droplets of it falling onto the hardwood as she dodged to the left to avoid another swipe of Yearning's sword.

When she backed up against something that was too soft to be a wall, Patty looked over her shoulder in dread; her fears were confirmed, as Intrigue sneered back at her, her dark purple lips pulling back into a menacing smile.

The female devil pulled a shuriken from a pouch at the back of her silver belt, her acidic breath wafting over Patty's face as she hissed, "You've been beaten, little girl. Get down on your knees and beg our forgiveness, and we _may_ just go easy on you."

Fear coursed through the teen, her blood seeming to turn to ice in her veins, her breath hitching as her throat constricted. Taking one last look at Nero's still form several feet away, the ice melted away. A burning, protective desire took hold of her, one she had experienced only once before in her life; the day she'd followed Dante into the Demon Realm all those years ago.

_If only you were here…_

With Intrigue at her back and Yearning approaching her from the front, the trainee had nowhere to go. This no longer mattered to her however, as the anger coursing through her gave life to the pendant around her neck, her entire body becoming encased in pulsing indigo light.

Intrigue and Yearning both drew back with cries of pain and fright, the devil shielding his eyes with his forearm as his sister writhed and screamed, dropping to her knees behind Patty with a loud _thump_.

"Never!" Patty shouted. The light surrounding her swirled and expanded, stray bolts of magical energy lancing out at the devils. "I'll never give in!"

As the energy reached its peak, the teen released it with a cry, the blast throwing both devils back from her and cracking the windows on either side of where she stood. As the power diminished to nothingness, Patty sank to her knees, panting heavily as beads of sweat ran down the back of her neck.

She looked over at Nero with heavy lids, gasping when it occurred to her the blast may have hurt him as well. "Nero…Nero, please wake up…" Her voice came out barely above a whisper, her vision blurring with tears as she crawled wearily toward her fallen comrades' body.

Before she could reach him, she received a savage kick to the ribs. The teen let out a pained groan as she was thrown sideways, the unmistakable sound of breaking bone meeting her ears as a sharp, burning pain filled her abdomen. She heard Karma skid across the floor, the empty gun-blade coming to rest against the half wall of the kitchen. Rolling onto her back, she clamped her teeth together, determined not to give either of the devils any satisfaction by crying out.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she listened to the soft padding of Yearning's feet approaching her, joined by the sharp clicking of Intrigue's stilettos from the opposite side. Willing her eyes to open, she watched from her peripherals as the devils continued their slow approach, no doubt to instill as much fear in the teen as possible before torturing her.

_It's no use…I don't even have enough energy left to fight._

As Intrigue and Yearning loomed above her with identical, savage smirks, Patty took a steadying breath, preparing herself for the worst. Unable to fight the instinct any longer, the teen's eyes squeezed shut yet again, the thudding of her heart in her ears drowning out whatever threat the female devil had made.

Gunfire broke through the din in Patty's ears, her eyes snapping open at the familiar crack of a pair of M1911 pistols; it had to be the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard in her life.

As Intrigue and Yearning stumbled back with pained cries, blood spurting from their wounds, Patty found strength enough to look toward the apartment's entrance. A pair of all-too-familiar red and black boots came into view, a pair of high-heeled black ones and tightly-laced brown ones shadowing them on either side. Turning her gaze upward, Patty didn't even try to stop the overflow of tears that spilled from her eyes, a sob escaping her as her face split into a relieved smile.

"Didja miss me?"

* * *

"Dante!" Patty's voice came out choked with emotion, the blonde teenager struggling to her feet with Lady and Trish's help, the female hunter and demoness draping her arms over their shoulders as they lifted her to her feet.

Dante chuckled as he bent down next to Nero, placing two fingers to the younger hunter's throat as he checked for a pulse. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

"Of course we missed you," Patty's voice broke, causing the half devil to somewhat sober, "all three of you. It's a miracle Nero and I have made it this far on our own."

The half devil was well aware of the underlying feelings in Patty's words; what she _really_ meant was that Nero probably would have fared better on the mission without her.

"Don't kick yourself too much over it," Dante declared, "you've done a lot better than you think you have, kiddo."

Patty opened her mouth as if to say more, but was interrupted by the feral snarl that echoed throughout the cavernous room. Looking up, Dante saw the male devil known as Yearning get to his feet, his acid green eyes flashing angrily as he ran toward the devil hunters with his short sword in hand.

Blood caked his armour, flecks of the crimson liquid spraying from the not yet healed wound in his chest. Jumping to his own feet, Dante swung Rebellion around, meeting the blade of the demon with practiced ease. Sparks flew as the swords locked together, Dante's teeth clenching as he kept Yearning at bay.

"Lady, Trish, get Nero and Patty out of here," he ordered, "I'll take care of these two."

Lady sagged under Patty's weight when Trish left the girl's other side, the female hunter straightening up again and reinforcing her hold under the teen's shoulders. Trish hastened to do as Dante instructed, and hoisted Nero's unconscious form up, the toes of his boots dragging across the floor as the demoness made her way over to the door.

"Dante…are you sure you'll be okay?"

The half devil met Lady's uncertain gaze with a confident smile over his shoulder. "Piece of cake, babe; just take care of those two, alright? I'll catch up with you guys later."

Lady required no further prompting, as the female devil known as Intrigue got to her feet, letting out a snarl every bit as savage as her brother's had been.

Satisfied that both Trish and Lady had gotten out of the apartment safely, Dante let out a dark chuckle, his eyes locking with those of his opponent's. Throwing Yearning back so that the swords disengaged, the half devil looked between the siblings, his tongue running over his upper lip as the battle lust took hold. He moved into a defensive crouch, grasping Rebellion with both hands as the demons began their wary approach.

Intrigue was the first to move in for the kill, the she-devil shrieking as she threw one shuriken after the other at the devil hunter, simultaneously lunging at him with one clawed hand outstretched.

"Well, let's get this party started then, shall we?"

When Intrigue was a mere arm's length away from him, he dodged to his left and smacked her with the flat of his blade, causing the female devil to stumble. As she hit the floor face-first, Dante erupted into guffaws, laughing harder still as Yearning rushed at him in an attempt to avenge his sister's honour.

The devil wound up flat on his back, owed to a savage roundhouse Dante sent his way with the heel of his boot. "You guys never learn." The devil hunter lamented mockingly, staring down at the furious expressions of both demons.

Casually resting Rebellion over his left shoulder, he withdrew Ivory from his right hip, and stared down the barrel of the customized pistol. "I guess you'll just have to allow me to school you, then."

* * *

The battle that ensued had to be the best that Dante had had in a very long time; despite their earlier clumsiness against him, Intrigue and Yearning proved to put up a harder fight than he'd expected.

Even so, the half devil was growing weary of dodging throwing knife after throwing knife. The devils were trying to keep their attacks long-ranged, knowing full well what the devil hunter was capable of close up.

_Heh! Like close-range is all I'm capable of. _Dante thought with a smirk as he twirled Ebony and Ivory around his index fingers, and brought them up to eye level. His fingers twitched rapidly on the triggers as he strafed the guns back and forth, Yearning and Intrigue dodging in opposite directions to avoid the barrage.

"Do you honestly think splitting up will save you?" Dante shouted over the sound of gunfire and empty casings hitting the floor.

"You'll pay for this, half breed!" Yearning roared, diving to the floor as he chucked a throwing knife at the half devil.

Intrigue appeared next to Dante at the exact same second, swiping at him with a shuriken in hand. The devil hunter ducked and weaved, evading both attacks with gleeful laughter.

"C'mon, you can do better than that!" He taunted, taking Rebellion in hand and lancing out at Intrigue with it. The tip of the blade skimmed her waist, tearing a gash in her royal blue gown to reveal a similar gash in her midsection.

Dante couldn't tell if the shriek that tore from her lips was one of pain or fury, and nor did he have time to wonder, for at that exact moment, Yearning rushed him, stabbing him clean through the chest.

"Man, this is getting really old, _really_ fast." The devil hunter muttered, wincing as he began to remove the blade from between his ribs. It was proving difficult however, as Yearning still had a tight grip on the short sword, and seemed intent on keeping it where it was.

_Well, that can be remedied…_

Dante swept Rebellion in a horizontal arc, Yearning relinquishing his grip on the short sword as he let out a pained howl from where the claymore bit into his thigh.

Wrenching the short sword free, the half devil let out a sigh, doing his best to ignore the burning and itching sensation that indicated healing had begun.

"Are you guys ready to get serious, or are we just going to continue with this damn tickle fight? Because I gotta tell ya, I'm getting pretty bored, here." Dante scoffed, training Ebony on Intrigue as he extended Rebellion between Yearning and himself.

The taunting had the desired effect, both devils letting loose with angry snarls as demonic energy arced across their shoulders, releasing their true forms.

_Finally! Now the real fight can begin._

* * *

"This is your last chance," Dante rumbled in warning, allowing Rebellion's edge to bite into the soft flesh of Intrigue's ankle amidst her frantic protests, "tell me where the victims are!"

The female devil was sprawled out on her stomach, Dante keeping her there with one foot placed in the small of her back, Rebellion seconds away from severing her left foot from the rest of her body.

After he'd ended Yearning's life, Intrigue's attacks had become more desperate, making her far more reckless and blind to Dante's strategy. It hadn't taken long for him to gain the upper hand, easily sidestepping as the she-devil lunged at him and knocking her to the floor with Rebellion's pommel.

Long gone was the snide, self-important attitude; the female devil now was reduced to a pathetic, grovelling mass of tears. "Please…it hurts…" She wailed, tensing under the weight of the half devil's boot.

"And it's going to hurt a helluva lot more, unless you tell me what I want to know." Dante countered severely, his words coming out a pitiless growl.

"I-I don't know where Dominus has them now," Intrigue continued on hastily when Dante let the claymore dig in a millimetre more, "but I know where they're going to be tomorrow night!"

Forcing back the smirk that tugged at the corners of his lips, Dante eased up on the sword as a token of mercy for Intrigue's co-operation.

"And where would that be?" He prompted, teasingly running the flat of Rebellion over the female devil's wounded ankle to keep her talking.

Intrigue yelped from the pressure on her injury, her answer coming out between clenched teeth as she trembled from the pain. "The…park…"

"There, that wasn't so hard now, was it?" Dante removed his foot from the she-devil's back, returning Rebellion to its place between his shoulders. He swivelled on his heel, taking quick, long strides toward the door.

"Wait, you can't just leave me like this!" The half devil stopped at Intrigue's plea, and glanced over his shoulder at her bloody and broken form. "If you do, the others will tear me apart!"

Dante snorted in response; he knew when the she-devil said _'they'_, she was referring to all the demons she had brought under her control to serve as her minions.

"I don't see how that's my problem," he retorted, "you should have thought of that before you took innocent lives, _and_ attacked my friends."

He continued out the door, Intrigue's screams only falling silent when he made his way through the portal.

* * *

**There ya go, Dante is back, baby! As always, please feel free to review. Concrit is welcome. :)**


	9. Failure, Truth, and Redemption

**Finally, after three torturous days of trying to put this chapter together, it's finally complete. This chapter will finally bring any unanswered questions you may have asked to light, perhaps along with some you hadn't.**

**I apologize for those of you who were waiting patiently, and hope this chapter is to your liking. :) Many thanks to those of you who continue to follow, favourite, and review this story. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Devil May Cry, or the characters; they are the property of Capcom. This fanfiction is non-profit, and purely for entertainment, only.**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Failure, Truth, and Redemption**

It was shortly after midnight, when Dante stumbled through the double doors of the _Devil May Cry_ building. Shrugging out of his leather coat, he let it fall to the floor with a dull _thump_, too worn out from both his battle and the time it took returning to the office to care. Heaving a sigh, he made his way over to his desk where both Trish and Lady watched his approach with curious expressions. A halo of fluorescent light fell over them, the only source of light in the otherwise dark office.

The devil hunter was vaguely aware of Nero's soft snores to the left, where the younger hunter lay on the couch, fast asleep, his demonic arm draped across his forehead.

_Good,_ Dante thought, a soft sigh of relief escaping his lips, _it looks like the potions he absorbed through that arm of his must've finally worked their way out of his system._

He nodded his head in greeting at both women perched on the edge of his desk, and made his way around to the other side, flopping down into the high-backed gothic chair. Leaning back, he put his feet up on the desk, crossing them at the ankles as he locked his fingers behind his head, closing his eyes in weariness.

"Patty's upstairs?" He asked after a moment, peering at the blonde and brunette from under thick lashes.

Lady nodded in reply, her red and blue eyes glazed with exhaustion. "She had a few minor injuries, and her ribs were cracked, but we managed to patch her up."

"I gave her a mild sedative so she could sleep," Trish added, casually tossing her hair over her shoulder, "I think the damage to her pride is far worse than any physical injury she sustained. She blames herself for what happened to Nero."

"Nero can take care of himself just fine." Dante sighed, his boots hitting the floor as he leaned forward. "Besides, he's alright, now. Whatever those potions were, it looks like pop's bloodline saved him from the worst of it."

"Still, she was pretty upset," Lady stated quietly, giving the half devil a significant look. "She wouldn't leave his side until his breathing finally evened out. Trish and I had to physically restrain her from calling Kyrie."

"I'll have a talk with her, first thing in the morning." Dante promised, running a leather-clad hand through his mop of silvery-white hair. "Oh, I almost forgot…"

Rising from his chair, the half devil made his way over to the shop's entrance, picking his coat up and withdrawing the gun-blade from one of the inner pockets.

"I'm sure having _this_ back will cheer her up." He declared, placing the gun-blade on his desk. He casually draped his coat over the back of the chair, and slid back into his seat with a tired groan. He'd been in the thick of his battle against Yearning and Intrigue, when a glimmer of light on carbon steel had caught his eye. When he had recognized it as Karma, the devil hunter had nearly found himself riddled with throwing knives as he'd lunged into a somersault to re-acquire the teen's weapon for her.

_Fortunately for me, their marksmanship was seriously lacking._ He mused with a grin, unclipping his own guns from their holsters and setting them on the desk next to the gun-blade.

"Did you learn of the victims' whereabouts?" Trish asked him, her blue-green eyes bright with interest.

"Of course I did," Dante declared with a wink, "you know me, babe. I can be _very_ persuasive."

Both Trish and Lady rolled their eyes at this, the brunette scoffing as she swivelled around to face him, her arms folded across her chest. "Okay, cowboy. Are you going to stroke your inflated ego some more, or are you going to fill us in?"

* * *

Dante watched as night faded into dawn, the first of the sun's rays creeping in through the large, arched windows to pour over the hardwood floor. The half devil had managed to sleep for only a few hours after filling Trish and Lady in on what he'd learned, his dreams plagued with visions of endless suffering wrought upon the human world by yet another devil thirsting for power. His mother's face had come up often in those dreams, covering him in a cold sweat as he was jarred from slumber.

Getting up from the armchair, he made his way toward the kitchenette, his nostrils filling with the robust aroma of freshly brewed coffee as he entered the room.

"Good morning," Trish smiled at Dante's startled response, the demoness holding out a steaming mug of the rich, black liquid to him, "I thought after last night, you'd need this."

Dante took the mug gratefully, grinning at the blonde as he leaned against the counter, and took a sip. "You know me too well."

"Unfortunately…" Lady sauntered into the kitchenette then, smirking as Dante choked on his coffee. He glared at her in response, though only half-heartedly. How the heck had he allowed _both_ women to startle him?

_I must be worse off today than I thought. _He thought ruefully, his lip twisting into a grin of wry amusement.

Taking another sip of his coffee, he looked steadily at both women. "So, you're heading out to gather supplies?"

"Yeah, a few things; ammo cartridges, extra clips, food rations for the victims…" Lady took a long swig of the coffee she'd poured for herself, her expression one of concentration. "Anything else we think we might need. How are you doing for bullets?" She turned to look at him, her mismatched eyes seeming to radiate an inner fire.

Dante couldn't help but grin. That was his Lady, alright; hot-headed, and raring for a good fight. Finishing off his cup, he leaned across the counter and poured himself another.

"I could probably use a couple of magazines' worth." He replied, narrowing his eyes over his mug at the female devil hunter. "How much is it going to cost me?"

Without missing a beat, the brunette winked at him, and made her way over to where the blonde stood, ready for departure. "Let's just say I'll send you the bill when this is all done."

* * *

Nero awoke with a groan, squinting against the harsh sunlight as he rose into a sitting position on the careworn sofa. A wave of nausea roiled through him, the part devil putting a hand to his forehead as he waited for the feeling to pass.

_What the hell…why do I feel like I have a hangover? How did I get back here?_

It took a few more minutes for his sleep-addled mind to catch up with the events of the night before.

The fight against Yearning and Intrigue…Slamming the she-devil down with his Devil Bringer…The potions breaking…

_The potions!_ He concluded with a gasp. _I must have absorbed a ton of it when I attacked Intrigue. Damn it…_

Rising unsteadily to his feet, Nero looked around the office, surprised to see that it was empty. He could faintly here the murmuring of voices coming from upstairs; judging by the tones, one a mild baritone and the other a soprano, Dante and Patty were having an important discussion.

He made his way toward the main bathroom, intent on having a nice, long, hot shower to ease the stiffness in his limbs. Questioning Dante could wait…

* * *

"I can't help it," Patty murmured, her gaze falling to her lap, "I just feel like if I hadn't forced Nero to let me go with him, he wouldn't have wound up in that situation."

The teen could feel the devil hunter's gaze boring into her as he leaned forward in his chair, the furniture creaking in protest as he shifted his weight.

"You're not at fault, Patty. This is what we've been training you for; you had every right to go on the mission with him." Dante's tone was softer than usual, drawing the adolescent's gaze up to meet his.

He smiled faintly at her, and continued on. "More importantly, Nero is fine. Remember, he can take one hell of a pounding. Any recklessness he displayed in battle was on him, not you."

Patty lowered her gaze, swallowing against the lump in her throat as she argued, "How can you be sure?"

Dante's laughter brought her gaze back up again, the teen frowning in bewilderment

"How can I be sure? Geez Patty," The half devil snickered, shaking his head in amusement, "have you forgotten how many battles Nero and I have been in together? Trust me; if he gets worked up enough, he gets reckless. Mind you, he has improved a lot over the years…" He trailed off thoughtfully, his smile fading into a frown.

_What was that all about?_ Patty wondered, noticing the sudden glassiness of the devil hunter's eyes.

Before she could speculate further, Dante rose from his seat, stretching languidly with a groan. "Look, the bottom line? It's not your fault, kid. Now, rest up a bit more, alright? Tonight we've got a final attack to launch."

Patty stiffened as she stared at the devil hunter, wincing slightly at the sharp pain in her ribs; it had turned out they weren't broken-at least not _entirely_. Somehow, the solid kick she'd received had only managed to crack two of them, the others merely bearing bruises.

"Wait, what do you mean, 'we'?" The teen asked, eyes widening. "Even after how things went down last night…you're still letting me come with you?"

Dante let out a sigh, chuckling softly. "You say that as if I could stop you," he countered, grinning. "Besides, haven't you been listening? This is what we've been training you for. You need to be able to protect yourself in case the rest of us aren't around. Not to mention you have some pretty potent anti-demon magic up your sleeve."

Patty opened her mouth to protest, but shut it as Dante leaned in closer to her, his ice blue eyes softening. "We need you every bit as much as you need us; now, get some sleep, okay?" With that, he gave her a quick peck on the forehead, and retreated from the room, leaving the teen dumbfounded by both his words and his gesture of affection.

* * *

Nero sat in the armchair, watching the elder devil hunter as he descended the stairs, the dull thud of his boots faltering when he noticed the part devil's gaze on him.

"Oh good, you're awake." Dante said in greeting. "Just give me a sec, okay? I'll getcha a cup of coffee."

Before Nero could open his mouth to speak, Dante disappeared into the kitchenette, the sound of clinking mugs drifting into the main room. From the expression on his face, the half devil knew he had questions for him. Many, _many_ questions, in fact…

When Dante returned to the main room, Nero took the mug from him with a grateful nod, waiting as the elder hunter settled down on the couch opposite. Satisfied that he had his undivided attention, Nero cleared his throat.

"You mind telling me what you're playing at, old man?" He asked briskly, narrowing his eyes at the apparent look of discomfort on the elder man's face.

"Do _you_ mind being a little more specific?" Dante countered, leaning forward so that his elbows were settled across his knees, his own cup of coffee untouched on the table between them.

"Okay then, I can be specific." Nero retorted hotly. "So, was your 'vacation' all just a hoax? Was this whole damned thing just some messed up test for me and Patty?"

"No, it wasn't…to both questions." Dante's tone was low, his steely gaze flickering to one of regret before solidifying again. "We were about half way to our hotel, when we heard it over the radio."

"You mean the reports about the people disappearing?" Nero was caught off-guard by this; whatever answer he'd been expecting from the elder hunter, it hadn't been this.

Feeling somewhat guilty for assuming the worst, he gestured for Dante to continue on.

"As soon as we heard, I turned the car right around. I must've been going pretty fast, because Lady wound up pretty pale by the time we got here." The half devil chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "At any rate, we argued for a bit about what we should do. I won't lie…I wanted to rush in, right then and there. But, Trish talked some sense into me."

The half devil rubbed the back of his head, wincing slightly in remembrance. Nero choked back a snort; he could well imagine how that particular _'talk'_ had gone.

"Okay, so you guys decided not to interfere with the mission." Nero concluded, setting his mug down on the coffee table as he gave the half devil a searching look. "What made you decide to stick around?"

Dante leaned back in his seat, crossing one leg over the other. "We didn't want to interfere, but we didn't want to leave you guys stranded, either. After all, there was a possibility things could escalate quickly. So, we decided to gather as much information as we could; we interrogated quite a few of their minions, but it looks like those demon lords took no chances. They laid down quite a few false trails."

"Demon lords," Nero snorted, "right. They sure didn't seem like it."

"That's because they didn't earn their power," Dante explained with a casual wave of his hand, "it was handed down to them."

"You mean through their bloodline, I take it." Nero nodded his head thoughtfully, and took a long swig of his coffee. Setting the mug back down, he returned his gaze to Dante. "So, those anonymous phone calls…"

"Yes, that was us." Dante confirmed in a guilty tone, flashing the younger hunter a look of apology. "We kept watch over the building; when you wound up swamped with clients, we knew there was a good chance you wouldn't crack the case in time. So, I had Trish call in with a voice modulator to give you a little push in the right direction. Or, well…what we _thought_ was the right direction."

Nero huffed in annoyance, leaning back against the couch with his demonic arm draped over the back of it. "Alright, and the fresh demon corpses we kept finding…was that you, too?"

Dante nodded, his gaze dropping to the floor. "Yeah, that was us, too. We figured the least we could do was thin out the herd."

Nero swore, his boots hitting the floor loudly as he leaned forward to glare at the half devil. "Damn it, Dante! I don't know what's worse; you running around behind the scenes allowing us to _believe_ we could do it on our own, or the fact that you didn't _trust_ us enough to handle it without you!"

If Dante hadn't looked dejected before, he certainly did now. Nero let out an agitated sigh as the elder hunter's shoulders drooped, his gaze still lingering on the floor. After a moment, Dante's gaze met his, a flicker of pleading crossing his face.

"Kid...no, _Nero_," the elder hunter amended, seemingly oblivious to the part devil's jaw slackening in shock, "I'm sorry…It wasn't that I didn't trust you…it's just…well…"

Nero shook himself out of his stupor, his demonic arm flashing angrily as he narrowed his eyes at the half devil. "It's just what?"

Dante threw his hands up helplessly, and leaned back in his seat, pressing both of his palms against his forehead with a groan. "I…_we_…didn't know what you were up against…and I…I mean _we_…were worried about you."

Seeing the elder hunter squirming, Nero couldn't help what happened next. Dante jolted in his seat, startled by the younger hunter's boisterous laughter, an eyebrow arched at him in confusion.

Nero braced his hands on his knees, willing the chuckles to subside as he watched Dante becoming more perplexed by the second.

"Kid...you alright?" The half devil cast a wary look at him, his mouth drawn into a frown of uncertainty.

Nero nodded, returning the elder hunter's gaze. "Yeah, I'm fine." He ran a hand through his hair with a sigh, the other curling into a tight fist in his lap. "Look, I…I'm…sorry, old man; I'm sorry for letting you down…"

He was caught off-guard when Dante's gloved hand shot out, cuffing him across the back of his head.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?!" He glared at the elder hunter, grimacing as he rubbed the sore spot on his head.

"For being an idiot," Dante declared, smirking. "You didn't let me down kid, so quit it with the self-pity, will ya?"

"I will if you will." Nero shot back with a grin of his own, peering over his mug at the half devil in amusement, finishing off the last of his coffee.

Dante chuckled, his eyes glinting knowingly. "Fair enough, kid. It's a deal."

* * *

It was just passed noon when Trish and Lady returned to the _Devil May Cry, _both women carrying two duffel bags in each hand. They plunked their burdens down onto the hardwood floor, Lady heaving a sigh as she readjusted Kalina-Ann over her shoulder.

Patty eagerly got to her feet, the teen having just cleaned Karma for the tenth time out of sheer boredom. Careful not to put too much stress on her ribs, she made her way over to the women, greeting them both as she peered curiously at the bags.

"No wonder you guys were gone for so long," she remarked, "it looks like you cleaned out half of a convenience store, or something."

"Close enough," Trish replied, a faint smile tugging at her lips, "we had to head to the next town over, since this city has become something of a ghost town."

"Hopefully that will change, after tonight." Patty murmured, unzipping one of the bags to be met with the sight of dozens of ammo cartridges. Rummaging through, she started pulling out the revolver rounds, divvying them up as evenly as she could between herself and Nero.

"Oh good, you're back." Patty looked up as Dante made his way down the stairs, the half devil pulling a black long sleeve on over his still shower-drenched form. "What did you bring me?" He rubbed his hands together enthusiastically, a boyish grin on his face.

Patty shook her head, smiling as she returned to her sorting.

"More bullets than you're going to need." Lady answered him, her tone playful. "I took the liberty of filling the extra clips for you."

"Lemme guess," Dante volleyed back, equally playful, "it's going on my bill?"

"You got it."

"Alright, you two," Trish chuckled, "we need to sort the supplies, remember? And by the way, where's Nero?"

"He's polishing his sword upstairs." Dante said distractedly, grabbing a handful of clips and making his way over to his desk.

Patty looked up at him in alarm a second before she burst out laughing, drawing the attention of everyone else in the room. She watched as Lady and Trish exchanged knowing smiles in her peripherals, both women chuckling as Dante turned around to stare at the adolescent girl in bafflement.

"What?" He asked, his gaze darting between the three women suspiciously.

It was only when Patty started laughing harder that dawning lit his face, the half devil's lips quirking into a lopsided grin. "I didn't mean it like_ that_, you perverts…"

* * *

"So you're _sure_ that the timing is right, that it's not just another false trail?" Nero pressed, lazily twirling Blue Rose around his finger. After all of the trouble he and Patty had gone through thanks to the demon lords and their false trails, the part devil wasn't taking _any_ chances.

Dante made a sound somewhere between a sigh and a growl, the devil hunter's expression one of exasperation as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "For the hundredth time kid, yes! Dominus will have his victims set up in the park at eight tonight!"

"Still," Patty stepped forward, pulling her wavy blonde hair into a ponytail, "it wouldn't hurt for us to show up a tad early."

"Sorry Dante, but I agree with them." Trish cut in, the demoness lounging on the corner of his desk, Luce and Ombra ready and loaded above her hips. "Even if the information we gathered is reliable this time around, we'd still be cutting it pretty close. If we go early, at least Lady and I can move the victims as far away as possible before the battle begins."

Nero grinned at Trish in appreciation, the demoness playfully winking at him in return.

"Trish has a point," Lady chimed in, folding her sunglasses up and tucking them into the pocket of her blouse. "We don't know what this Lord Dominus is fully capable of. All we know is that he's a powerful demon lord, hell-bent on avenging his late father's honour in the Demon Realm."

"Probably even more so, now that we've taken out his younger siblings." Nero added, folding his arms across his chest. "Their defeat would count as a pretty big strike against the family's honour too, wouldn't it?"

"And for some ass-backwards reason, they always think that reclaiming that honour means taking over the human world." Dante concluded with a sigh. "Damn it…alright, we'll do it your way." He looked at Nero meaningfully when he said this, the part devil doing his best to remain nonchalant as he shrugged in reply.

"Okay," Dante declared after a moment, his eyes suddenly burning with a fierce determination Nero hadn't seen in a long time, "let's go over the plan one more time…"

* * *

**Well, it's not much of an action chapter, but I hope you still enjoy it, just the same. Hopefully I didn't forget to fill in the blanks on any unanswered questions. D: I'm telling you, I made this plot way more involved than I meant to. Please review! :)**


	10. Wrath of the Demon Overlord

**Hello again, everyone! Once again, I apologize for taking so long to update, but I hope you find the wait worthwhile. **

**As always, many thanks to all of you who are following, reviewing, and adding this to your favourites. I hope I continue to entertain you with this story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Devil May Cry, or the characters: they are the property of Capcom. This fanfiction is non-profit, and purely for entertainment purposes, only.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Wrath of the Demon Overlord**

Dante reached the end of the foot path, the half devil motioning the others through the rod-iron gates marking the park's entrance.

Seeing the somber expression on the devil hunter's face as he held up both of his pistols, Patty raised Karma a bit higher, the blonde slowly exhaling as she shadowed the four elder hunters into the square. Her eyes widened at the sight they were met with; more than twenty feet away, about fifty or sixty people stood shoulder-to-shoulder in a circular formation, spiralling inward. As far as Patty could see, every last one of them had their eyes closed. Their postures were stiff, unnatural, their complexions verging on grey.

"It looks like they're in a trance." Trish remarked, resting Ombra over her shoulder as she swept her gaze passed the victims, her blue-green eyes flashing when they landed on something in the distance. Patty followed the demoness' line of sight, shielding her eyes from the soft, orange glow of the setting sun. Seeing several figures skulking around the perimeter of the victims, she let out a gasp, and instinctively went into a half crouch, ignoring the sharp pain in her ribs. She saw Nero drop into the same position to her right, the hunter cursing softly with Blue Rose resting across his left knee.

The demons guarding the victims didn't appear to have noticed them, but Patty knew if the hunters didn't find cover soon, it would only be a matter of time before they were discovered. Glancing at the half devil in front of her, it was clear he was thinking along the same lines. Looking back, Dante put a finger to his lips, and gestured for everyone else to follow him, pointing in the direction of the large, stone statue erected in the centre of the park several paces away.

Patty took in the impressive sight of the knight astride his stallion, sword in hand with his mount rearing on its hind legs. Even after all of these years, she was still in awe knowing that the statue was in fact a tribute to Dante's father, Sparda, for his many battles against his demonic brothers in the defense of humankind.

Watching as Trish and Lady padded after Dante toward the statue, both bending low as they ran, Patty followed suit, hearing the faint swish of Nero's coat along the ground as the part devil trailed behind her.

Reaching the statue, Patty pressed her back firmly against the pedestal, wincing from the pain in her ribs as she chanced a glance around the edge. The guards seemed to be patrolling in groups, idly chatting with one another in their demonic tongue as they walked the perimeter. Narrowing her eyes, she got a better look at them; they were bipedal, all reptilian in appearance, with long, rounded snouts, and sharp, yellowing fangs protruding over their bottom jaws. Dark grey frills adorned their heads, the loose, leathery skin also visible along their forearms and the tips of their tails. They all wore the same dull black armour with silver breastplates, each one of them carrying a short sword in one claw and a brass shield in the other. Their clawed feet were bare, except for the silver shin guards that ran from their knees, down to just before their toes.

"We don't have much time." Patty glanced back at Lady, the female hunter giving Dante an anxious look as she pulled the slide back on her pistol. "Dominus will be here in about half an hour."

"We also don't have time to tiptoe around these guards," Trish pointed out beside her, a strand of hair falling across her forehead as she slammed freshly loaded magazines into her own pistols, "I counted twelve of them. I'm sure we can take them out, easily."

Patty returned her gaze to Dante, the elder hunter nodding his agreement with both women beside him. "I'm right there with you, babes. Okay, stick to the plan; ladies, go at 'em in a pincer formation. Nero, you're with me, and Patty, you're in charge of defense; only use your offensive spells when necessary. Got it?"

The adolescent nodded her head, a tentative smile tugging at her lips as her eyes met Dante's cool blue ones, the half devil grinning back at her.

"Alright then, let's go!"

* * *

Patty did as she was told, hanging back behind the others as they went in for the kill, the cacophony of gunfire and clashing steel nearly deafening. The teen watched as three of the reptilian devils lunged at Lady, the female hunter bringing Kalina-Ann around with a flourish, blasting them into nothingness with the custom missile launcher.

She couldn't help smiling when Lady continued on, coolly returning the weapon to its position over her shoulder as she trained both her pistol and submachine gun on two more guards rushing in her direction.

So far, the guards seemed to be far too busy with the more experienced hunters to notice Patty, and if she could help it, it would stay that way. Sweeping her gaze passed Trish and Dante fighting three of the guards together, her eyes locked onto Nero. The part devil was in the middle of an attack, unaware of the devil leaping toward him with its sword drawn as he sliced into one of its cohorts.

Quickly chanting under her breath, she focused her intent on creating a protective barrier, her pendant glowing brightly as a sudden gust of wind whipped around her. A shield of indigo light appeared, surrounding Nero just in the nick of time. The demon guard's sword struck against the magical barrier, causing him to rebound and fall over backward. He gaped up at the part devil in bewilderment, oblivious to the fact that the magical field had been created by an outside source.

_And by the looks of it, he won't get a chance to find out, otherwise._ Patty thought with a smirk, watching as Nero spun around and sliced the guard clean in half without so much as batting an eye.

Keeping her gun-blade held at the ready, she stayed alert, her gaze flicking over each one of her comrades as they continued their battles, the teen throwing up protective shields when it was most necessary to do so-which didn't appear to be very often, since the elder hunters were more than capable of holding their own.

As she readied herself to cast a shield over Trish, one of the six remaining guards suddenly turned in her direction, his lips pulling back as he let loose with a feral snarl.

"It's the human girl who keeps protecting them," he called to his companions with his sword held high, his voice coming out a gurgling hiss, "stop her!"

Patty watched as the guard began his approach, the demon letting out a piercing shriek as it was struck with a concentrated dose of Trish's lightning. His body fell to the brick path, his armour clanking loudly. The demoness stood behind him with her left arm outstretched, her ruby lips pulling back into a devious smile.

The damage had already been done however, for the five remaining guards turned toward the trainee, their tails swishing back and forth across the ground as their gazes fell on her. Their advances started slowly, at first, but they soon broke into a run, quickly closing the gap between them and the blonde teenager. Looking down the sight of her custom revolver, Patty pulled the trigger, the magically infused bullet hitting the closest guard right between the eyes, throwing him back in mid-jump. He hit the cobblestones with a solid _thunk_, the body evaporating before Patty's eyes. The teen wrinkled her nose at the foul stench of decay released by the demon's body, sighing in relief when it fully vanished.

Patty's attention was diverted then, as Nero unleashed three savage upward strokes with Red Queen, engulfing the blade in flames as he tore into two of the guards at once, rivulets of green blood spattering the ground. Dante, Lady, and Trish took out the last two, the half devil throwing his sword like a javelin into one, allowing Trish the opportunity to send her lightning along the blade directly into the demon's chest. Lady finished off the other with the bayonet on Kalina-Ann, slicing downward with such force that she had to struggle to pull it out of the ground, afterwards.

Looking around to make sure they'd finished off the last of them, Patty let out a startled gasp when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Glancing back, she nearly sagged with relief, Nero's sapphire eyes meeting hers with a flicker of concern.

"Are you alright?" He asked her, his demonic hand dropping back down to his side as she turned to face him.

Patty gave him a small smile, and holstered Karma. "Yeah, I'm fine. All things considered," she ran a hand gently over her aching ribcage, "that went pretty well."

"It's not over, yet." Nero reminded her, his head turning to indicate the victims still standing in their trance-like state. "We've gotta get them out of here before Dominus shows up."

Patty nodded, and made her way over to the spiral, her eyes widening as she recognized Laura Jennings, the slightly plump woman's head bowed forward with her eyes closed, grey wisps of her hair fluttering in the evening breeze.

The teen was vaguely aware as the last of the sun's rays sank below the fringe of trees lining the park, her eyes adjusting as the artificial lanterns around them flickered to life. Reaching out, she gripped Laura by the shoulders, gently shaking her.

"Laura, Laura! Wake up, please! We need to get out of here!"

There was no response from the middle-aged woman, her breathing continuing on in the same slow, uninterrupted pattern as before.

"We won't be able to evacuate them like this." Trish declared beside her, the demoness' voice betraying a hint of impatience. "It seems the triplet demon lords' powers are still in effect."

"Hey Patty," the teen glanced back at Dante as he strode forward, his arms crossed as he turned his gaze from the victims to her, "what if you used your pendant? Do you think your magic could snap these people out of their trance?"

Patty glanced between the faces of each one of the hunters, all of them sharing the same expression of wary hopefulness. The trainee tilted her head thoughtfully, her gaze returning to the fifty or so people all still standing in the same unnatural posture.

"I'm not sure…I've never done anything like that, before." She murmured, her right hand unconsciously groping at the pendant around her neck.

Nero rested his hand on her shoulder again, the teen jumping slightly at his touch. Looking back at him, she arched an eyebrow in question, the corners of her mouth drawing into a slight frown.

"Well then, I'd say there's no time like the present." The part devil gently squeezed her shoulder, a reassuring smile lighting his face.

Steeling her resolve, Patty gave a stiff nod, and stepped closer to the circle of victims once again. Exhaling, she closed her eyes, and focused all of her energy on creating an incantation that would do exactly what they needed. As a magical gust of wind began swirling around her, she could see the faint glow of her pendant through her eyelids, her ponytail whipping back and forth as the wind started to pick up speed.

_Here goes nothing…_

* * *

As the wind's power increased, so too did the magical energy within Patty's body. She could feel it, the faintest tingle coursing through each limb. As it grew, it seemed to pulse just beneath her skin, ebbing and flowing like water. When the waves of magical energy started to roll off of her, she threw her arms wide, opening her eyes as she directed the purifying energy toward the victims.

The air around her seemed to crackle, the spell she unleashed attaching itself to the wind, forming a faintly glowing cyclone. Despite her surprise at what was taking place, Patty kept focusing on the task at hand, and guided the energy around each person, the cyclone breaking off into many smaller funnels that swirled around them individually.

Green light poured over each of the victims, Patty's pendant blazing the brightest shade of blue she'd seen, yet. She could hear Lady gasping directly behind her, immediately followed by Nero's impressed murmuring.

One by one, the people started coming out of their trances, their eyes snapping open, a few of them falling to their knees as shock took hold. All the while, she kept directing the energy until finally, the last person awoke with a startled cry.

Letting her arms fall limply at her sides, Patty closed her eyes, her limbs trembling with fatigue.

She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, one so familiar she didn't even need to look up to know whose it was; the hand was bigger than Nero's, firmer.

"You did well, Patty. I'm really proud of you."

Glancing over her shoulder, she gave Dante a weary smile. Using him as a temporary support, she leaned back against him, and returned her attention to the victims, grateful when she felt the fingers of both of his hands settle on her shoulders in understanding. Lady and Trish rushed passed them, Nero striding off to the side as he kept an eye open for Dominus' arrival.

Both female hunters began directing the crowd of people back through the park entrance, gently coaxing them forward while still conveying the urgency of moving as quickly as possible. Patty was relieved to see the people putting their trust in both women, the teen smiling when Laura Jennings passed by with her arm looped through the arm of a tall, balding man that could only be her husband.

Patty watched as the people hastened through the gate, the trainee moving away from Dante to stand on her own two feet, as she felt the strength returning to her legs. Dante held onto her shoulders for a few seconds longer, only letting go when Patty squeezed his fingers reassuringly, letting him know she was alright.

Just as Lady was escorting the last group of people through the gate, the air began to undulate, thrumming with a powerful energy that made Patty recoil slightly, the fine hairs along her arms and on the back of her neck standing on end. She glanced over at Nero, the part devil's teeth bared as his gaze quickly flicked around the area, searching for the source of the energy they were feeling. He swung Blue Rose to and fro, his breath coming in fast, shallow huffs as he turned on his heel to scan the opposite end of the park.

Patty felt Dante stiffen behind her, his hands coming up to grip her shoulders once again, an unmistakable growl rumbling through his chest. "He's here."

* * *

"Lady, get those people out of here!" Dante barked over his shoulder, the female hunter giving him a curt nod as she escorted the last of the victims through the rod-iron gate, a gun in each hand. With a final backward glance, she disappeared from sight, fulfilling her duty of assisting Trish in evacuating the victims as far from the battlefield as possible.

Nero stood next to the elder hunter, casting a sidelong glance at the half devil as he pulled Rebellion from over his shoulder. Holding Red Queen in a similar fashion, Nero caught Patty's eye, the teen requiring no further prompting as she fell in behind both hunters. It relieved him to have her being so co-operative, despite her obvious reluctance at having them shield her. What he had once mistook for stubborn teenaged pride, he now recognized as unconditional loyalty and protectiveness. It was just fortunate that she understood the magnitude of the situation, and thus still opted to follow orders, overriding her own protective desires.

Nero turned his attention to the swirling vortex of black and white that had appeared in the air no more than eight feet in front of them, the part devil tightening his grip on the modified durandal in his left hand while his right curled into a fist. He ignored the madly thrumming energy coursing up and down his demonic arm, for there was no point in paying it any heed; he already knew what danger approached them.

As a figure clad in black armour emerged through the portal, the Devil Bringer's whitish-blue glow became tinged with red, and for the first time in a long time, Nero had the impulse to hide his demonic arm behind him.

_So, this is Dominus._

He was tall, broad-shouldered, with short, feathery copper-coloured hair. Thin sideburns lined the pale, flawless skin of his face, a neatly trimmed moustache and goatee the same shade as his hair accenting his regal features.

It was Dominus' eyes however, that forced Nero to suppress a shudder; where the whites should have been, was charcoal black. His irises were crimson, the black pupils looking suspiciously like the Greek symbol for Omega.

As Dominus took slow, deliberate strides toward them, a large double-sided scythe in hand, Nero instinctively went into a defensive position, unaware that he'd done it at the same time that Dante had. Hearing Dominus' ominous, throaty chuckle, he cast a wary glance at the elder hunter; it was then that he realized they mirrored one another almost perfectly.

The half devil caught his eye, shaking his head almost imperceptibly as if to say, _'Don't let him get to you, kid. Stay focused.'_

"I'm sure I require no introduction," Dominus stopped when both Nero and Dante thrust their swords forward, discouraging him from coming any closer, "and suffice it to say, I already know quite a bit about you, heirs of Sparda."

His lip twisted into a cruel smile as his gaze flicked from Dante to Nero, the younger hunter steeling himself as the Overlord's red eyes bore into his own. When Dominus' eyes looked passed him, he heard Patty's stifled gasp, the Demon Overlord beginning to pace back and forth, a hungry expression on his face.

Nero held Red Queen steady, keeping a wary eye in case Dominus tried to pull a fast one on them, his eyes following the Overlord as he strode back and forth.

"And you must be Patty Lowell, descendant of that treacherous human whom enslaved my father more than a century ago. It seems you have acquired his…_skill_ as well." Dominus sneered in disgust, his gaze flicking meaningfully between both hunters once again.

_Wait, is he…?_

"If you're implying what I think you're implying, you can forget it, jackass." Nero snarled, his right fist clenching more tightly. "Patty wouldn't use her powers on us like that, and nor does she ever need to; we fight beside her because we _choose_ to."

"My mistake then," Dominus chuckled darkly, and abruptly ceased his pacing. "I suppose there's far too much human in you for that to work, after all." There was no mistaking the contemptuous tone of his voice, as his lips curled back to reveal prominent fangs.

He was trying to bait Nero, and the part devil knew it; well, two could play _that_ game. The joke was on Dominus, if he really thought Nero viewed his own humanity as a weakness; clearly, he didn't know as much about him or Dante as he believed, and the young hunter intended to use this to his full advantage.

Relaxing his stance, he observed Dominus with a sneer of his own, and adopted a casual tone. "You know, for a guy who just lost the chance at getting a serious power boost, you're taking it pretty well."

Nero saw Dante stir in his peripherals, the half devil shooting him a warning look when it seemed Dominus wasn't paying attention. Nero widened his eyes meaningfully at Dante, doing his best to convey his plan to the elder hunter without a word passing between them.

He didn't get a chance to see if the message had been received however, for his attention was immediately brought back to Dominus. The Demon Overlord turned away from them, his hands clasped at the small of his back, his double-edged scythe planted firmly in the ground beside him.

"You think to manipulate me into a rage, do you, young one?" His voice was so low that at first, Nero wasn't sure he'd heard him correctly.

His uncertainty vanished however, when Dominus repeated himself, this time his voice ringing out clear and true. His shoulders then began to quake as he surrendered to deep, throaty laughter. The air around them started to pulse once again, as violet energy arced across the Overlord's body, crackling as he began to double in size right before their eyes.

_Oh, shit!_

Nero watched as two massive, leathery wings unfurled from Dominus' back, breaking through the armour as though it was paper. Clawed feet protruded from his metallic boots, the chain mail on his calves and forearms splitting as the muscles beneath expanded.

Nero met Dante's gaze, bowing his head apologetically; this hadn't been his plan, _at all_. How could he have been so naive as to overlook the fact that Dominus still hadn't shown them his true form?

_Real smooth Nero,_ He scolded himself, fighting against the instinctive fear clawing beneath his skin. _If we live through this, I have a feeling Dante's going to make me wish _I_ hadn't…_

* * *

**That concludes another chapter. I will try to get chapter 11 up quicker, but I can't make any promises. :( Things have been a tad busy, as of late. Here's hoping I can get it done by Wednesday; cross your fingers. Anyway, please review. Concrit is welcome. :)**


	11. Dark Wings Descending

**Sorry for the wait, everyone! This took a ridiculously long time to put together. I can only hope the quality reflects that. Thanks to all of you who have added this to your favourites, reviewed, and are currently following this story. Your support really means a lot to me. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Devil May Cry, or the characters. They belong to Capcom; I am merely borrowing them for entertainment purposes. No money is made off of this fanfiction.**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Dark Wings Des****cending**

Nero watched in horrified fascination, as Dominus continued his transformation into his true form. Dark spikes now jutted up from beneath the Overlord's armour, running along his shoulders down to his knuckles, covering nearly every inch of his legs, several smaller spikes forming on the back of his head.

He turned slowly, hovering several feet above the devil hunters, his wings extended to their full breadth on either side of him, fiercely glowing red eyes finally coming to rest on the part devil. His lips pulled back into a smirk, his shoulders shaking as a dry, humourless chuckle rumbled from deep within his chest.

"Your human nature betrays you, young one." He barked out another contemptuous laugh, Nero doing his utmost not to flinch at the sound. "Yes, I see true fear in those eyes."

Nero's chin jutted out in defiance, the part devil letting out a snort of disgust as he glared at Dominus. "Don't flatter yourself."

"I hate to break it to you," Dante chimed in then, the younger hunter turning to stare at the half devil in disbelief, "but the kid's been up against much bigger, much _tougher _opponents than you." Though his face was lit with one of his usual over-confident smiles, his eyes glittered dangerously, the laugh lines that often hinted at one of his playful moods completely absent. Hearing a threatening growl, the part devil shook himself from his observations, his gaze flicking between Dominus and the devil hunter in alarm.

_What the hell is Dante doing?!_ Nero wondered, his eyes widening as he watched Dante make his way slowly toward Dominus, stopping a few feet in front of the Demon Overlord with the tip of his sword casually resting against the ground.

Nero managed to catch his eye, the older hunter only giving a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders as if to say, _'Since he's in this form now, we may as well make the best of it.'_

When Nero returned his attention to Dominus, it was obvious that the silent exchange between them hadn't gone unnoticed by the Overlord; if he had looked smug and self-assured before, he looked ten times more so, now.

"If that is so," he drawled, his piercing red irises returning to Dante, "then why does the boy look so afraid?"

Nero bared his teeth, forcing himself to maintain control over the sudden rush of anger boiling deep within him. _Keep calm,_ He reminded himself as he unclenched his fists, _he tried this before, remember? Don't let him manipulate you; one screw up, and this whole situation could end up going to hell in a hand basket._

Exhaling shakily through his nose, he kept his eyes locked on the Demon Overlord, suddenly aware of the subtle vibrations thrumming through the air. Sliding his eyes in Dante's direction, he saw that he, too, was aware of the energy building up all around them, the half devil halting whatever clever retort he'd been planning, mid-sentence.

_So, while he was preparing his attack, he kept us busy with idle chatter, huh? Well, that was almost clever of him…_

Gripping Red Queen tighter, Nero glanced back at Patty, giving a slight jerk of his head to indicate she should move further back. Patty must have understood, for she slowly started retreating toward the statue, the barrel of her gun-blade rising little by little as she kept her sapphire eyes trained on Dominus.

Massive black spheres appeared then, the swirling balls of energy forming what appeared to be some sort of protective barrier around the Demon Overlord. As he moved into a defensive stance, Nero had no doubt that the spheres could also be used offensively; Dominus didn't seem like the type satisfied with remaining on the defensive-at least not for very long.

The younger hunter's theory proved true as Dominus propelled himself forward, flapping his wings with tremendous force, kicking clouds of dust up around them.

"Stay on your toes, kid!" Dante shouted. Both hunters lurched forward at the same time to meet Dominus' attack halfway, while Patty sought cover behind the statue. Nero thought he could hear her chanting an incantation, but with the roar of the wind in his ears, he couldn't be sure, and with his own task to fulfill, he couldn't afford to ponder on it further.

Rebellion met the inside curve of the scythe a split second before Nero thrust Red Queen forward, the younger hunter intent on skewering the Overlord on the tip of the durandal. Before the blade could meet its mark, two of Dominus' black spheres hurtled toward the hunters, the first one slamming full force into Dante despite the half devil performing a backflip to evade it.

Nero leapt off to the side, the part devil diving into a roll as the sphere shattered the ground behind him, pelting the back of his neck with rubble.

_That was close._

Nero got to his feet and looked over his shoulder as Dante landed hard on his back, the half devil letting out a pained groan as Rebellion clattered to the ground beside him.

_The old man never falls for tricks that simple…what the hell is going on?_

Realizing the error of taking his eyes off of his opponent, he returned his gaze to the Demon Overlord, leaning back a second too late as the handle of Dominus' scythe struck him full force in the face.

"It's no use, hybrid." Dominus cackled, raising his weapon to strike again-this time with the blade, itself.

Nero staggered back, doing his best to ignore the throbbing pain above his right eye as he brought his sword up. The clashing of metal set his teeth on edge, the part devil trembling with the effort as he held Red Queen steady, keeping the wicked blade of the scythe from slicing into the base of his throat.

When he showed no signs of weakening, Dominus pulled back, the sudden movement causing Nero to stumble forward before righting himself, the younger hunter gritting his teeth from the forceful gust of wind Dominus created with his wings.

Just as he was getting ready to launch a counter-attack, a gleam of silver caught his eye; Rebellion streaked passed him, the sword moving toward the Overlord with such speed, Nero was certain he'd seen the blade glowing white-hot.

Just before it could strike Dominus, one of the black spheres moved directly into its path, the sword rebounding off of it before Dante called it back to his left hand.

Casting a cursory glance behind him, Nero was relieved to see the devil hunter back on his feet, Ivory cocked over his right shoulder as he observed Dominus with glacial blue eyes.

"Hmm, you're holding up better than I expected." He murmured, casually hefting Rebellion's weight in his hand, "But, play time's over. What d'ya say, kid?" He turned his gaze to Nero then, a lopsided grin gracing his face.

Despite the direness of the situation, Nero answered with a grin of his own, the part devil revving Red Queen's handle eagerly. "Right there with you, old man. Let's show him what a couple of hybrids can really do!"

* * *

Dante and Nero's attacks became quicker, a lot more brutal than they had been before. Patty watched in morbid fascination as both white-haired men unleashed a flurry of strikes with their swords, Dominus spinning his scythe just as quickly to meet the blades of his opponents with each downward slash and horizontal sweep they threw at him.

Both hunters seemed to be in perfect sync with one another, dodging and weaving from side-to-side, their swords clanging each time they met the handle or the hooked blade of the Overlord's weapon.

Just as Dante dodged one of the many black spheres hovering around them, Nero went in for the kill, thrusting his sword through one of Dominus' wings. The Overlord let out a strangled cry, the sound changing halfway into a menacing growl. He dropped to the ground, tucking his bloodied wing in as he brought his scythe down in an arc, the part devil dodging to the right.

Patty heard his pained gasp, as the hooked blade grazed his shoulder, slicing through the soft leather of his coat. Gritting her teeth, the adolescent extended her left hand, a whirlwind of energy enveloping her as beams of light shot from her fingertips. The devil spear attack split apart, forming several smaller beams that pierced through Dominus' armour, shattering a few of the spikes lining his body on impact.

The attack had the desired effect, distracting the Overlord from his quarry as he turned his burning glare upon her. A split second later, Dante rammed Rebellion through his left shoulder, bits of blood-coated spittle flying from Dominus' mouth as he let loose a tortured cry.

His interest in the teenager was forgotten as he attempted to wrench free of the claymore buried within his shoulder blade, the devil letting out another cry as Dante ripped it free with a quick jerk of his wrist.

The half devil was giving him no quarter however, his finger twitching on Ivory's trigger to unload a salvo of stinging, demonically-charged lead into the profusely bleeding wound of his enemy. Nero mirrored the elder hunter, releasing three well-placed charged shots of his own into Dominus uninjured wing, darting back and forth when Dominus lashed out with his scythe, a savage roar erupting from the Overlord's throat.

Just as Patty readied herself to unleash another devil spear, Dominus was in the air once again, the wounds in his wings rapidly healing before her eyes, new muscle and skin tissue replacing what had been damaged. He waved his right hand around in a graceful arc, the gesture slow, almost hypnotic. At first, she couldn't tell what was happening, and from the mixed murmurs of both devil hunters, they couldn't, either.

It wasn't long before they all understood however, for the black spheres began swirling faster and faster around Dominus, blurs of mottled black streaking through the air as the devil directed them at the hunters.

Bringing her hands up quickly, Patty cast a protective shield over the two white-haired men. Indigo domes pulsating with white light formed around them, the black spheres bouncing harmlessly off before evaporating into nothingness.

Too late, Patty realized several of the spheres were coming at _her._ With a mental curse, she braced herself for impact, knowing she wouldn't get a shield up around herself quickly enough. Screwing her eyes shut, she waited for the painful blast that would knock her off her feet; it never came.

Instead, she felt a surge of power pass over her, a familiar blast of energy that gave her the distinct impression something had cancelled out Dominus' attack. She cracked one eye open cautiously, and looked around. She caught sight of something bright blue, before it faded into thin air. Hearing an agitated growl, she whipped around quickly, met with the sight of Dominus glaring down at Nero.

It became clear to her then what had happened; Nero had devil triggered. A large, armoured demon phantom rose up from his shoulders, blue flames flickering up and down his right arm, Yamato in his grasp. He stood several feet in front of the teen with his back to her, his hair and coat fluttering from the powerful energy emanating all around him.

_He must have summoned those energy daggers._ Patty realized. She had seen Nero do it on only a handful of occasions, the part devil able to control and direct the daggers toward multiple targets at a time.

Before Dominus could retaliate against the part devil for interfering, he jolted forward with a cry of surprise, spinning through the air before slamming into the ground with enough force to shatter the cobblestones beneath him. He skidded to a stop, face-down with his wings sticking up at awkward angles.

Patty was momentarily confused, until she saw Dante standing directly behind him, his sword glowing red from the shockwave he'd released upon the Demon Overlord. As Dominus attempted to rise to his feet, both devil hunters rushed toward him; Nero, still triggered, going at him from the front while Dante went for his back, thrusting Yamato and Rebellion forward at the exact same moment.

The teen felt it before she saw it; there was no time to cast protective shields over them, no time to draw her own weapon, nor unleash a magical blast. An explosion of power surrounded Dominus, flinging Nero and Dante away with concussive force. Nero slammed into the statue beside Patty with a pained grunt, his devil form disappearing as he crumpled to the ground. Dante skidded across the pavement in the opposite direction, Rebellion landing tip-first in the soft soil at the base of one of the park's trees.

A mixture of fear and anger surged through Patty, fuelling the powerful energy that suddenly formed around her, the blue light becoming a phosphorous white.

She clenched her fists tightly at her sides, paying no heed to the powerful cyclone whirling around her as she glared at the devil hovering overhead.

"You'll pay for hurting them," she growled, raising her hands so that they were extended directly in front of her, "now it's time for you to see the true power of the Lowell bloodline!"

* * *

Dante got to his feet with a groan, his jaw slackening when he saw the immense output of power Patty was displaying. A wind that could only be described as supernatural whipped around her, an eerie violet glow coalescing with the waves of white and blue, becoming brighter the longer he stared.

The teenager stood in the centre of all of this, her pendant a bright indigo as it whipped back and forth from the force of the wind, straining against its silver chain. Patty's sapphire eyes flashed with an angry fire the half devil had only seen a couple of times in the five years he'd known her, her lips moving quickly as she chanted an incantation under her breath.

Looking beyond the blonde girl, Dante could see Nero getting to his own feet, his eyes wide with the same awed shock that the devil hunter, himself, was feeling. Dante watched as Patty's hands twitched, the power pulsing around her materializing on the tips of her fingers.

The teenager let out a cry, one that betrayed a mixture of anger and pain, and with a final upward thrust of her hands, released a powerful blast unlike anything Dante had ever seen from her.

The energy beam resembled her signature devil spear attack-except for the fact that it had to be at least ten times larger. The violet and blue all but vanished, replaced with a white light so pure, the half devil had to shield his eyes.

Despite the sheer impressiveness of her attack, Dominus was more than ready. At the moment that Patty released the massive, swirling beam of light from her hands, the Overlord had merged the last of his black spheres into one without so much as moving a single finger.

Patty's beam collided with the large ball of black, the two cancelling one another out in a sonic explosion. The teenager was flung backward by the force, the half devil watching as Nero caught the girl in his arms, both of them hitting the ground considerably softer than Patty would have without the younger man's aid.

His gaze fell on Dominus then, the Demon Overlord hovering above them, unscathed by the blast. A ghost of a smile graced his lips as he turned to face the devil hunter, crimson irises boring into pale blue ones.

Gritting his teeth, Dante held Rebellion behind him, demonic power coursing down his arm into the blade until red bolts of energy arced across it. With a sweeping thrust forward, he unleashed one shockwave after the other at the devil, Dominus weaving back and forth in the air to avoid the blows. His smile grew, his laughter echoing around the park as the day faded into night.

"You may have denied me ultimate power, but you will find out soon, Son of Sparda, that you are out of your league." He declared in a self-satisfied tone, "With or without the human sacrifices, it doesn't matter; I will return to the Demon Realm a hero, once I stamp out the last of your accursed bloodline, and destroy the descendant of Alan Lowell!"

"Don't bet on it!" Adrenaline pumped through Dante's veins, his heart thudding almost painfully against his ribs as a burning sensation prickled up from his feet, rising until it coursed through each one of his limbs, flooding every fibre of his being. When the surge of energy was at its peak, Dante brought it to the surface, grunting from the powerful shock that always came with his devil trigger.

Peering up at Dominus through hazy red eyes, he was pleased to see the fear and displeasure that darkened his face, the Overlord's lip curling into a sneer.

Dante let out a dark chuckle, the sound coming out distorted due to his demonic form. He took slow, deliberate strides forward, his clawed toes scraping against the stonework with each step.

"If I'm out of my league, then show me." He rasped, extending Rebellion toward Dominus in a bold display of defiance that only he could achieve. "Let's dance!"

* * *

What followed Dante's proclamation was a series of lightning fast blows, the half devil parrying and thrusting with Rebellion as he dodged Dominus' wild swings with his scythe. Sparks flew each time the blades struck against one another, a mixture of Dante's and Dominus' demonic growls reaching Nero's ears as he helped Patty to her feet.

"It looks like he no longer has any of those black spheres left," Nero observed, targeting the Demon Overlord with Blue Rose, "I think now is our chance."

"I'm right behind you." Patty declared, cocking the hammer back on Karma as she stared down the length of the barrel.

Nero clenched the fingers of his demonic hand, willing the power to flow up through his right arm, across his chest, and into the revolver within his left hand. An all-too-familiar tingling surged through his body, the Devil Bringer pulsing from the energy transfer. Blue Rose glowed briefly before returning to normal, the bullets within absorbing the demonic essence. A flash to his right indicated that Patty had done the same with her anti-demon magic, the shard of Alan's Tear within the gun-blade's handle turning a vibrant blue.

Nero pulled the trigger, the crack of Blue Rose's gunfire echoing between the park trees as two bullets sped from the revolver's barrel, tearing clean through Dominus' armour. The Overlord stopped his scythe mid-swing, a demonic shriek erupting from his mouth as thick rivulets of blood poured from the gaping hole in his shoulder.

"Try healing that one, asshole." Nero muttered, charging up another shot.

Patty fired six shots in tandem, three scorching holes in each wing bringing Dominus down to earth with a sickening crunch as he landed on the left wing, breaking the hollow bones.

Releasing another two bullets from the chamber, Nero's face split into a grin as he saw Dante leap into action, taking advantage of his downed prey. The red-clad half devil was still in his demon form, the red and black armour covering him from head to toe sizzling with raw power. He lunged forward, thrusting Rebellion forward with such speed that both he and the sword were shrouded in a blaze of red energy.

Just as he was about to meet his mark, Dominus vanished from the spot, the half devil stopping short to look at the crater the Overlord had left behind.

Nero frowned, exchanging a look with both the elder hunter and the teenaged girl. Dante took a deep breath, the half devil raising his chin with a sigh as his demonic form receded, the crimson glow in his eyes returning to their usual icy blue.

"Where the hell did he go?" Nero wondered aloud, swinging Blue Rose back and forth as he searched the park, instinctively keeping his back to his comrades.

Dante and Patty joined the formation, the part devil only hearing the sound of the adolescent's breath as she reloaded her gun, the three of them continuing their circular pacing.

All of a sudden, a swirling red vortex appeared directly above them, Nero snapping his head up to meet Dominus' triumphant sneer with a strangled gasp. There was an echo of gunshots as Patty fired at the Demon Overlord, the teen cursing when he vanished once again.

"I'm getting really tired of his bullshit." Nero growled, Dante snorting in agreement as he pulled Ebony and Ivory from their holsters.

"If you're bored," all three hunters started at the voice, whirling around to see Dominus standing atop the statue of Sparda, another swirling red vortex suspended in the air behind him, "then perhaps it is time I make things more interesting."

Just as Nero brought his gun to bear on Dominus, a wave of black erupted from within the vortex, writhing and churning as hundreds of winged demons disentangled themselves from one another, their shrieks nearly deafening as they hurtled toward the devil hunters.

Nero cast a cursory glance in Dante's direction, the half devil placing his hands on his hips as he heaved an exasperated sigh.

"Oh great," He grumbled, running a hand over his face, "as if we didn't have enough obstacles, already!"

* * *

**Well, that took a lot of work and hair tugging, but I think I finally have it just the way I want it. I can only hope you all enjoyed it, as well. Please review; concrit is welcome. :)**


	12. All or Nothing

**Hello again, everybody. I'm back with another chapter, in which the battle continues against Dominus. How will our devil hunters fare? Read to find out! ;) Only a few more chapters to go!**

**A big thank you to those of you continuing to support this story and myself by reviewing, following, and adding to your favourites. Really, thank you so much for your feedback. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Devil May Cry, or the characters; they are the property of Capcom. This fanfiction is non-profit, and purely for entertainment purposes.**

* * *

**Chapter 12: All or Nothing**

"Patty, stay on the defensive! Nero," Dante threw Rebellion in a wide arc, the claymore taking out several of the winged demons at once as it whirled through the air. "I need you to cover me. Think you can do that?"

The half devil looked pointedly at the younger hunter, holding his hand out as he waited for Rebellion to return to him. A flicker of uncertainty crossed Nero's face, quickly vanishing when his eyes met Dante's.

He gave the elder hunter a nod of affirmation as he slammed a fresh cartridge into Blue Rose, the spinning of the revolver's barrel emitting a _click_ once it was back in place.

His lips twitched into a faint smirk, the part devil snatching one of the demons out of the air with his Devil Bringer, and slamming it into the ground with a satisfying _crunch_. "The question you _should_ be asking," He declared as he repeatedly pounded his prey into the ground, "is whether there will be any leftovers for you, when I'm done."

Dante scoffed in reply, his retort cut off as one of Patty's devil spears lanced passed them, reducing four of Dominus' winged minions to nothing more than blackened ash. Casting an appreciative look back at the teenaged girl, he closed his fingers around Rebellion's hilt, the sword sending a tingle of warmth through his arm in greeting upon its return. Patty nodded back at him in reply, directing multiple spears to take out the devils surrounding her.

Returning to his own task, Dante dove into the fray, slashing back and forth with his sword at the minions pressing in around him. Any that didn't fall by his hand were taken out by a charged shot from Nero, the younger hunter positioning himself so that he had easy access to both of his teammates when they had need of him.

Satisfied that both Nero and Patty were upholding their roles, Dante's eyes locked on Dominus, the Demon Overlord airborne once again. Both of his wings had already healed from the brutal assault the hunters had unleashed upon him only moments earlier; if not for the dry blood spattered on his body, there wouldn't be any indication he'd been hurt in the first place.

_We'll just have to change that now, won't we?_ Dante fired several shots from Ebony as he raced forward, darting back and forth to evade the winged minions that lashed out at him with their sharp beaks and claws.

Seeing Dominus preparing to attack Nero with newly formed energy spheres, Dante unloaded a salvo on the Overlord, drawing his attention away from the part devil, crimson irises gleaming when they came to rest on the red-clad hunter.

Coming to a full stop, Dante twirled Ebony and put it away with a flourish, meeting Dominus' glare with a cocky grin. "Funny, how a full-blooded devil like you needs help from a bunch of minions, just to take out a human girl and a couple of _lowly_ hybrids."

Dominus' reaction was just what Dante had anticipated; the Overlord let out a savage growl, baring his fangs as he started volleying one dark sphere after another at the half devil. Dante weaved back and forth, somersaulting into a forward roll and launching into a backward flip, each one of the spheres impacting the ground where he'd been a second too late.

Bringing Rebellion forward, he slashed through the last sphere, the energy breaking apart and vanishing with an electrical crackle, singeing the fine hairs along his forearms. As he raised his eyes to meet Dominus' furious gaze, he was aware of the continued sounds of the battle raging behind him; Nero taunting and roaring with each slash of Red Queen, and with every super-powered punch he took with the Devil Bringer. Further back, he could hear Patty unload a few shots from Karma, followed by the death cries of many of the winged demons when she unleashed more devil spears on them.

"You are a fool, Son of Sparda!" Dominus sneered down at the half devil, holding his scythe in front of him as he prepared for combat. "My minions are meant merely as an inconvenience. I shall have no trouble defeating you on my own!"

He lurched forward then, Dante bracing for impact with Rebellion held out in front of him. The scythe slammed full force into the claymore, the blades grating against one another as the hunter entered a deadlock with the Overlord. Dante forced him further back with a growl, Dominus gripping his weapon with both hands as he slid backward on the balls of his feet.

The distinct flapping of approaching wings diverted Dante's attention momentarily, his eyes widening when he realized that despite the hunters' efforts, the population of the winged demons seemed to be _increasing_.

"Nero, Patty! It looks like we've got more company!" He hollered, flinging Dominus away from him with a grunt.

"You don't say?!" Nero replied caustically. The half devil glanced back just in time to see the younger hunter getting sideswiped by a swarm of the winged minions, before calling his devil form forth.

The blazing, blue armoured devil rose up from Nero's shoulders like a guardian phantom, the part devil shrouded in a powerful blue aura that rippled over him like a ghostly fire.

As Nero started laying into the devils with Yamato in hand, Dante looked upward, his gaze falling on the red portal swirling above Sparda's statue.

_The portal!_

He returned Rebellion to its spot across his back, the half devil bounding forward and slamming his feet against Dominus' shoulders in one fluid motion. The action caught the Overlord by surprise, a snarl tearing from his throat as Dante used him as a springboard, launching himself up to the apex of the statue.

"I think it's about time I even up the odds."

Grabbing Rebellion from over his shoulder, he thrust the blade into the portal, gripping the sword with both hands as he forced it through. As the vortex began to close, its pull got stronger, the devil hunter widening his stance and tightening his grip as his sword jerked from the sheer force. Gritting his teeth, he wrenched on Rebellion, the effect on the vortex similar to that of water draining from a tub, after the stopper being removed. His ears were met with the cries of the many winged demons being denied access from the other side, their shrieks bringing a sinister grin to his lips.

"If you really want to even up the odds," Dante stiffened at the voice behind him, mentally cursing himself for being so careless, "then the only solution is to remove you from the equation!"

* * *

"No, Dante!"

Nero's head jerked up when he heard Patty's anguished cry, the young hunter finishing off the winged demon in front of him with a quick thrust of his sword. As the demon's remains were scattered by a powerful gust of wind, he met the teenager's gaze. Her sapphire eyes were wide, her mouth gaping as she stared in horror passed the part devil.

Following her line of vision, Nero just barely caught sight of Dominus slamming the handle of his weapon against Dante's back, the half devil disappearing through the demonic portal where the winged demons had originally come from. There was a bright flash of red light, and just like that, the vortex had vanished, Dante along with it.

Nero swore viciously, releasing his frustration in a whirlwind of thrusts and slashes with Red Queen, the blade engulfed in fire as it tore through several of Dominus' minions at once. As he raged on, he saw blue streaks of light pass overhead, Patty's attack exterminating more of the Overlord's winged friends before they could launch a surprise attack on the part devil.

There was no time to wonder where the vortex had sent Dante, though Nero was certain it would be to one of the many levels within the Demon Realm. There was no time to wonder whether he was okay; right now, he and Patty had a job to do. Swinging Red Queen upward, he slashed through yet another winged minion, grimacing in disgust as a thick layer of blood rained down on him. Catching a glimpse of something hurtling toward him out of the corner of his eye, he swung around, his sword meeting the thin, long handle of Dominus' scythe.

Narrowing his eyes, Nero brought his right fist up, and slammed it full force into Dominus' jaw, the Overlord reeling several steps back from the part devil. Dominus ran a hand over his aching jaw, observing the young hunter with fiercely glowing red eyes.

"You won't live to regret that, hybrid." He hissed between clenched teeth, his gaze flitting to where Patty stood, the teenager continuing her onslaught against the remaining minions. His expression suddenly became thoughtful, his lips pulling back to reveal gleaming, white fangs. "But on the other hand, perhaps you will…"

With an inhuman growl, Nero lunged at Dominus, swinging his sword in a downward arc, steeling his back for some form of resistance-be it the Overlord's blade or his flesh-only to have Red Queen's blade sharply clang against cobblestones. Blinking in surprise, he realized that Dominus was no longer standing in front of him. He whirled back and forth, expecting the Overlord to spring an attack on him at any moment; it wasn't until his gaze fell on Patty that genuine fear took hold.

Dominus had teleported directly behind her, the trainee casting one devil spear after the other at the swarm of winged demons surrounding her, completely unaware of his presence.

"Patty!" Nero's shout became distorted partway through as he triggered, the surge of power that rippled beneath his skin bursting forth in a blinding flash of light. The aura of indigo flames danced across his body, Yamato suddenly appearing in his right hand as his transparent, armoured devil loomed from his shoulders.

Patty must have heard him, for she instinctively performed a tuck n' roll, putting distance between herself and Dominus, while giving the part devil a clear shot at the same time. Her magical whirlwind dissipated as she swivelled around on one knee, gripping Karma in both hands. She pulled the trigger just as Nero summoned his energy daggers, the demonic energy powered by the charged shots he took with Blue Rose.

Neither the bullets nor the energy daggers met their mark; Dominus had teleported yet again, leaving the attacks to hit nothing but empty air. He reappeared directly behind Patty, pulling her tightly into his grasp with the inner curve of his scythe pressed against her throat.

Nero froze in his tracks at Patty's terrified cry, the hot rage he'd felt moments ago turning to ice in his veins as the scene unfolded before him. He stared at Patty helplessly, his devil form receding as the rising tide of panic took hold. His gaze locked with Dominus', the Overlord's face splitting into a cruel, knowing smile, as he tightened his grip on the panic-stricken girl.

"No, don't hurt her." Nero's voice came out a croak, the part devil barely recognizing it with his heart pounding in his ears.

"Come now," Dominus sneered, emitting a gasp from Patty when he pressed his scythe more firmly against her neck, a pinprick of red appearing from where the tip rested at the base of her throat. "If you're going to beg, you could at least do it on your knees."

"No, Nero! Don't do it, don't listen to—"

Patty's protests were cut off as Dominus twisted her arm behind her back, the Overlord letting out a threatening growl. "Keep your mouth shut, you filthy human scum!"

Nero made to move forward, but stopped himself. If he got any closer, Dominus would kill Patty, right then and there. If he just stood here, he'd probably still kill her, anyway. Surrender was out of the question, not that the Overlord would accept it, anyway; the part devil couldn't forfeit the fate of the entire world for Patty…but he couldn't just let her die, either.

_What the hell am I supposed to do?!_

Just then, something Dante had said during one of their sparring matches echoed through his mind.

"_Never lose that fire, kid. That's how you've gotten this far; it's never let you down before, and it never will."_

Nero met Dominus' gaze once again, the Overlord's smile fading as the hunter called upon his devil form once again, the icy tendrils of fear giving way to fiery determination. With Yamato in hand, the part devil did something he'd seen only Dante do with the katana; drawing back, he let loose with a series of rapid slashes, vaguely aware of the bewildered expression on Dominus' face.

Nero knew from experience that the movements were too quick for the naked eye-even if that eye happened to belong to a demon. Concentrating, he created a dimensional vortex with Yamato, a series of blue lasers surrounding Dominus and Patty. Gritting his teeth, Nero focused on where he wanted the beams to go, his work paying off when Dominus released Patty with a pained yelp.

Patty wasted no time, the teenager rushing to the part devil's side as the Overlord studied the wounds he had received to his arms and chest with a scowl.

The winged demons that had drawn back to watch as their master battled, suddenly appeared around him with angry shrieks, forming a protective barrier with their bodies. They snapped their beaks viciously as they glared at the trainee and devil hunter, their wings rustling impatiently as they awaited their master's orders.

Nero ignored them, however. As of right now, he only had eyes for Dominus, and by the power of Sparda, he was going to make him pay for what he'd done!

"I've had enough of your games, Dominus." He growled, his voice coming out an ethereal echo. "The time has come for you to answer for all the people you've hurt, all the lives you've taken! Now, let's finish this!"

* * *

The moment Nero leapt toward Dominus with his sword drawn, Patty knew exactly what she needed to do; taking up a defensive stance, she ignored the deafening thunder of the winged demons taking to the air, focusing instead on calling upon the same feeling she'd had years ago when she'd unintentionally performed her very first bit of magic.

The power rose up from the ground, surging up through her feet until it reached her chest, the pendant around her neck thrumming with an intense, warm energy. An aura of bright light surrounded her, bursting outward to eradicate the winged demons that were closest. She looked away as their bodies were shredded from the blast, their agonized shrieks echoing in her ears long after the ashes had been scattered by the wind.

Patty pressed a hand to her forehead, gritting her teeth against the sudden wave of nausea roiling in the pit of her stomach. The non-stop use of her magic was beginning to wear on her, something she and Nero could ill afford, right now.

_There's nothing for it,_ she told herself, pulling Karma from its holster, _I can take it easy later; right now, Nero is counting on me to back him up…and Dante…wherever he is, I can't let him down._

Channeling as much of her anti-demon powers into the gun-blade as possible, the teen raised it up to eye level, and pulled the trigger. The charged bullet took out one of the devils as it attempted to attack Nero from behind, the part devil oblivious as he continued exchanging heated blows with Dominus.

Patty fired round after round into the aerial devils, her eyes flitting over to Nero once more to watch the hunter's precise, brutal attacks in awe. If not for the fact that many of the demons were still trying to attack both of them, she would have continued playing spectator to the fast paced melee going on between the part devil and Overlord.

Reloading Karma, she clipped the gun-blade back into its holster, intent on saving it for later. Raising her hands up, she prepared to unleash a torrent of devil spears upon the lesser demons, a pleasant tingling running up and down the length of her arms. The power lanced from her finger tips, shafts of blinding light breaking apart to pierce through the chests of the feathered creatures.

Swiping the back of her hand across her forehead, Patty looked up just in time to see Dominus overtake Nero, the part devil landing on his back with a groan as his devil form dissipated, the Overlord looming menacingly over him. Dominus let out a dark chuckle as he brought his scythe up, the pale moonlight overhead glinting off of the wickedly curved blade.

As he readied to strike, his weapon held high, Patty let out a gasp, vaguely aware of the energy crackling all around her as she lunged forward.

"No!"

* * *

**Well, here's hoping this chapter is satisfactory; I can't help feeling the fight scenes came out subpar. Please review; critique is welcomed.**


	13. Whispers in the Dark

**Greetings, everybody! Sorry for the wait, but here's another chapter that, despite not being overly action-packed, is hopefully still enjoyable. This chapter is building up to the end (since chapter 15 will be the last; well, an epilogue will be thrown in there, too).**

**Additionally, the theme behind this chapter was somewhat inspired by a song bearing the same name, hence why you'll find Nero and Patty recalling snippets of dialogue from Dante-some from the game, others from "A Day in the Life of Dante", and others that I just randomly came up with.**

**As always, please read and review with what you think of it. Critique is welcome.**

**Thanks to the on-going support from all of you who continue to favourite, follow, and review this story. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Devil May Cry, or the characters; they belong to Capcom. This fanfiction is non-profit, and solely for entertainment purposes.**

* * *

**Chapter 13: Whispers in the Dark**

_Tha-thump! Tha-thump! Tha-thump!_

Patty ran as fast as she could, her heart pounding in her ears as she reached a hand out toward Nero, the hunter sprawled out on the ground with Dominus standing over him, preparing to strike. The part devil shook his head dazedly, recovering from whatever the Overlord had done to him. As far as Patty could tell, Yamato presumably had returned to its place within his demonic arm when his devil trigger had ended, whereas Red Queen had been knocked from his hand, just out of his reach.

Each step felt agonizingly slow, as though she was wearing lead boots while running through water, each inhalation of breath burning in her throat. As she closed the gap between herself and Nero, she slid in between him and the Overlord, bracing her arms in front of her as Dominus continued to swing his scythe downward, a malevolent sneer etched across his face.

"_There's no time for self-doubt; a second of hesitation could mean your life, or someone else's."_

As she squeezed her eyes shut, words Dante had spoken to her only short weeks ago during one of their training sessions echoed in Patty's mind, the current of energy surrounding her seeming to crackle even more in response. She wasn't sure what had called his words to mind, though she couldn't help thinking that they'd finally taken their hold on her; in running to Nero's defense, she had acted on instinct. It was the one thing that could either lead to one's salvation, or to their destruction; in this case, she could only hope it resulted in the former.

_I don't know if I can do this,_ Patty thought morosely, feeling the wind of Dominus' weapon as it drew closer, _what am I supposed to do, Dante? What if I'm not strong enough for this?_

The scythe was even closer now, assaulting the teen's ears with a high-pitched ringing as it whistled through the air.

"_Remember, you won't be able to rely on me forever."_

The words Dante had spoken to her after her first official hunt came to her then, as though in answer to her silent plea. They were just as true now, as when he had first said them. Taking a steadying breath, Patty opened her eyes, her gaze locking with Dominus'.

"_I'll never let anything hurt you, Patty. I promise."_

_You never did. You kept your promise; you were always there when I needed you. Nero and I will take care of the rest…I know you'll come back, just like you always do. _

Patty couldn't stop the smile that blossomed across her face, closing her eyes once again as the energy across her skin continued to grow. The sound of Nero's gasp behind her was muffled by the sudden gales of wind that began to swirl around them, loose strands of hair whipping around her face as they got stronger.

Patty felt the energy pulse before it burst outward, dazzling light dancing behind her eyelids as her ears were met with the sound of sheering metal, followed by Dominus' agonized cry.

Feeling the power beginning to dwindle, she opened her eyes. Blinking against the bright glare of the magical energy, she lowered her arms as it vanished, and stared at Dominus. He lay flat on his back several paces away, the Demon Overlord having been taken off of his feet by the magical blast the teenager had unleashed. What remained of his armour was cracked and riddled with holes, several of his demonic spikes broken and bleeding.

"Nicely done, Patty."

She jumped slightly at Nero's voice, and turned to gaze at him over her shoulder. "Are you alright?" She asked, studying his face intently. Aside from his eyelids drooping in exhaustion, he appeared virtually unharmed.

"Yeah, I'm fine. He just pulled some sort of sneak attack on me," Nero explained, getting to his feet and offering her a hand, "he grabbed a hold of my arm and the next thing I knew, I was flat on my ass."

"An energy drain attack?" Patty asked, accepting Nero's proffered hand as he hauled her up.

"Sure felt like it." Nero replied, scooping Red Queen up from the ground, and looking at Dominus as the Demon Overlord rose to his own feet, albeit unsteadily. His red eyes came to rest on Patty, the teenager finding she had to consciously refrain from showing any outward signs of discomfort, despite the rising tide of uneasiness swelling deep within her chest.

"You've exceeded my expectations, human." Dominus declared lowly, a slow smile creeping across his face, despite the blood trickling from the corners of his mouth. "I shall enjoy breaking you, for the great inconvenience you have wrought upon me this night!"

* * *

Thunder rumbled as dark, heavy clouds rolled overhead; what started out as nothing more than a light sprinkling turned into a torrential downpour, soaking right through Nero's clothes within moments.

Patty stood just behind him now, the teenager saving her strength after the magical blast she'd unleashed upon Dominus. The Overlord stood on the opposite side of the rain-slicked cobblestone path, his crimson eyes glittering dangerously as he leered at them, wiping a trail of blood from his chin.

"Keep your guard up." Nero glanced back at Patty, keeping his voice low as he absent-mindedly closed his right hand into a fist. "I'm going to do everything I can to wear him down, but when I signal you, I need you to distract him."

Patty's eyes widened, the trainee nodding her head resolutely despite her apparent fright. Nero couldn't be sure if Dominus' threat had triggered her fear, or if it was the same thing that he often experienced himself, while fighting a powerful enemy in the company of others.

_I wouldn't blame her if it's both._ He mused, still staring at Dominus as he revved the handle of his sword. After all, it was overwhelming enough to have others relying on you to back them up when they needed you, having them trust in you so completely to uphold your role in battle-but to have that weighing on your mind, along with your opponent's desire for retribution? Nero was no stranger to _that_ particular dilemma; it still wasn't any easier now than it had been the first time around, so he could imagine all too well how Patty must be feeling.

"_In order for us to work as a cohesive unit, we gotta trust each other. Do you trust me to save your bacon? Can I trust you to do the same?"_

Watching as Dominus picked up his scythe, Nero felt the corners of his mouth tugging into a smirk. _Heh…Even without you here, I can still hear you lecturing me. _

Nero's sentimental amusement was cut short as Dominus lunged toward him, sweeping his scythe in an upward diagonal strike. The blade sang through the air as Nero dodged to the right, slamming the flat of Red Queen against the hooked blade to prevent it from slicing into his midsection.

It seemed the Overlord had been prepared for the part devil's deflection, for he twirled the scythe back around, changing direction partway by weaving it around his arm, and lanced out at Nero from the opposite side.

The young hunter brought his right fist up just in the nick of time, Dominus' scythe bouncing off of the reddish brown scales of his demonic arm with a sharp _clang_.

From that moment on, both the part devil and the Overlord upped the ante, their attacks becoming more brutal with every stroke as the durandal met the scythe again and again. Nero wasn't about to back down, and it was clear that Dominus wasn't, either. With each thrust of his blade, the Overlord parried with his own; with each swipe Dominus took with his scythe, Nero was prepared, either parrying with Red Queen, or leaping over the blade when the devil made to take his legs out with it.

Dominus' rage surfaced when Nero got a lucky hit in, the part devil grazing the Overlord's thigh with the tip of his sword. Blood spurted from the shallow gash, Dominus hissing between clenched teeth as he lashed out at the hunter with the curled claws of one hand.

Nero smirked at this, a low chuckle rumbling in his chest at such a desperate move on the Overlord's part. "What's the matter? Is that really the best you can do?"

Dominus bared his fangs at this, his crimson eyes taking on an eerie glow as he began to wildly swing his scythe to and fro, forcing Nero to leap backward with every slice.

_Whoops…I guess that pissed him off more than I thought it would. Oh well, it doesn't matter now, anyway…_

"Patty, now!" He shouted, deking left and right as Dominus continued swinging his scythe haphazardly.

The part devil felt the power pulsing in waves around him, as the teenager chanted an incantation under her breath. Casting a quick glance back at her, he saw brilliant, white light dancing across the surface of her skin, her eyes blazing a vivid blue. As she thrust her arms wide, Nero leapt off to the side, narrowly escaping the devil spear as it lanced out toward the Demon Overlord. Before it could hit Dominus, it seemed to impact against an invisible force surrounding him, sending the attack back at the trainee. Just as quickly, Patty threw a shield up around herself, the rebounded attack flashing momentarily when it hit the surface of the indigo dome, before dispersing into pinpricks of fading light.

Though fascinated by the sheer speed of Patty's reflexes, Nero knew he didn't have time to waste; calling upon his own power, he felt it surge beneath his skin, spreading out from the centre of his body until it filled each finger and toe. With a final grunt, he triggered, bringing his ethereal armoured devil to the surface.

As he rushed toward Dominus with renewed vigour, his first meeting with Dante came to mind, unbidden.

_Nero rushing toward Dante to kick him full force in the face with both feet…their gunfight in midair…the part devil impaling him with Rebellion upon Sparda's statue…the conversation that followed…_

"_We're the same…you and…I."_

He didn't understand why, but that memory always filled him with a mixture of gratitude and sadness; it was so bittersweet, recalling how much he had resented his demonic lineage at first, only to come to accept it with the half devil's help. If not for Dante, he never would have come to realize, nor appreciate, his full potential.

"_You're family, kid. There's not a damn thing I wouldn't do for you."_

Clash! Clang!

"_We're counting on you, kid."_

Nero thrust Red Queen forward, grunting as he changed his attack halfway into an upward stroke, Dominus evading the attack at the last second with a growl.

_Don't worry old man; I won't let you down, not after everything you've done for me. _

Nero unleashed one brutal stroke after another with Red Queen, the increased power from his devil form making it nearly impossible for Dominus to do more than deflect the attacks, at this point; if the young hunter had his way, the Overlord wouldn't get another attack in, edge-wise. It was time for Nero to give him a taste of his true power.

"_It's up to you from here, kid. An opportunity to save the world doesn't happen every day, you know. Savour it."_

Continuing his onslaught against Dominus, Nero grabbed hold of the Overlord by the neck, and pulled him closer toward him with a wry grin.

_This I will savour._

* * *

Dante stifled a yawn as he sliced through yet _another_ Hell Sloth, the white scythe-wielding devil gurgling as it sank to its knees, evaporating before its body fully hit the ground. He wasn't certain how long he'd been in this particular section of the Demon Realm, but he had succumbed to boredom nearly upon arrival.

From the moment the portal had closed behind him, he hadn't been able to open it, again. And so, the half devil had begun his quest in finding another opening he could force his way through. The only problem was, ever since he'd arrived, he'd been bombarded by one mediocre demon after another. Dominus' winged minions, the Seven Hells, clusters of Soul Eaters, and more than enough Sargasso to last him a lifetime.

Looking around surreptitiously to make sure no more demons were lurking about, he let out a satisfied grunt, and continued on his way. His footfalls echoed faintly against the gleaming Obsidian path he had landed on upon coming here, his eyes roving passed the scraggly grey shrubbery on either side. Aside from the foliage and the occasional hill, the landscape was barren, devoid of any identifiable landmarks. It was enough to bore the half devil into a comatose state.

The sky above him was a sickening green, the threatening swirling of the clouds indicative of a coming storm.

_Sure, why not? Hell, maybe I'll even get struck by lightning; that would make things a helluva lot more interesting!_

Just as he thought it, bolts of white lightning arced through the clouds. Dante glanced warily over his shoulder at Rebellion, hoping that the claymore didn't draw the electrical charge directly to him.

"Geez, I was kidding." He muttered under his breath, continuing toward the faint energy signature he'd felt upon slaying the Hell Sloth. He couldn't be sure that it would be a portal leading to the human world-hell, he couldn't be sure it was a portal, _period_-but given his present location, anything else _had_ to be better.

Just how the hell had he let Dominus get the jump on him, in the first place? Okay sure, once he knew Dominus intended to shove him through the portal, he'd offered no resistance; in allowing himself to be overthrown, he had ensured that the Overlord could no longer summon any of his minions to the human world-at least not without giving Dante a chance to return to the battlefield, as well. Additionally, this also gave Nero and Patty the opportunity to prove their mettle, though it hadn't been by design as much as it had been by chance.

Wincing as a sharp, burning pain went through his left knee, Dante came to a stop. He gritted his teeth as he waited for the feeling to pass, emitting a groan of frustration when the burning only seemed to intensify, rather than subside.

Oh, yeah. _That's_ how Dominus had managed to get a cheap shot against the devil hunter; the clever little wound Intrigue had gifted him with the night before. During his battle against her, the she-devil had grazed him with one of her shuriken; it hadn't become clear to him until his journey back to _the Devil May Cry_ that she had laced the throwing star with some sort of potent, demonic venom. Regardless, he had refused to worry the others over it; he'd had far worse injuries inflicted on him after all, and they'd had much more important things to contend with.

_Goddamn it._ He mentally groused, clutching his knee. _I should have cut her damn foot off for that little stunt!_

Taking a deep breath, he pushed onward, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. Whatever the venom was, it was hindering his healing process a great deal. Despite this, the half devil wasn't overly concerned; though he was healing rather slowly, the fact remained that at least he _was_ healing.

_Now I know how Lady feels._ He thought sullenly, his gaze coming to rest on a fortress looming into view through the oppressive blanket of fog surrounding him. The current of energy he'd felt seemed to grow stronger; if there was indeed a portal to be found here, he had a feeling it would be somewhere within the complex layout of the crumbling structure before him.

_Well, here goes nothing._ He thought with a sigh, pulling Ivory from his right hip. Approaching the rusted rod-iron gate that stood between him and the citadel, Dante lashed out with his right foot, and sent the gate flying into the side of the stone building with a resounding crash.

Making his way up the few stairs that led to the massive double doors, he closed his hand around the brass door handle, and wrenched it open, the hinges squealing in protest. As he entered the high-ceilinged room, he was greeted by the shrieks of dozens of Arachne, all of varying sizes.

_Just great, _he huffed in irritation, pulling the hammer back on the silver pistol. _I hope Nero and Patty are faring better…_

* * *

**Well, there you have it, another chapter completed. Like I said in the opening notes, it's more of a build-up chapter, than anything; rest assured, the real battle commences in the next one. Please, feel free to let me know what you think. :) **


	14. This is Gonna Hurt

**Welcome back! Yet another song title as the header; I couldn't help it. :P**

**Anyway, the battle against Dominus rages on! Also, I hadn't originally intended to pay too much attention to what happened to Dante when he disappeared (I knew what would be happening, but I had figured I wouldn't need to write it out) but as it turns out, I wanted to cover a bit more ground there. This is due in part to the fact that I can only stretch the battle against Dominus so far before it becomes tedious. So, I decided to break it up a bit.**

**As always, thanks for the reviews, favourites, and so on. :) I hope you find this enjoyable. Please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Devil May Cry, or the characters; they belong to Capcom. This fanfiction is non-profit, and solely for entertainment purposes.**

* * *

**Chapter 14: This is Gonna Hurt**

Nero let loose with a savage snarl before unleashing a torrent of summoned energy daggers into Dominus, the Overlord unable to shield himself from the onslaught while being held within the large, ghostly duplicate of the part devil's demonic hand.

Chuckling under his breath, the hunter finished with an uppercut, Dominus tumbling over backward until he slammed up against Sparda's statue. It wasn't long before he was back on his feet though, his anger physically manifesting into a rippling, violet aura around him as he charged toward Nero, swinging his scythe horizontally.

"We haven't even begun to fight, young one!" He roared as his blade clashed with the part devil's sword again and again, droplets of rain flying off the blades with each hit.

_Huh, like I haven't heard _that_ before!_

Nero revved Red Queen's hand-guard, flames licking along the tip of the sword as he broke through the Overlord's defenses, slicing through his right shoulder.

Dominus gave a pained shout before lancing out at Nero again, fangs bared as he entered a standstill with the young hunter. The duo struggled against one another for a moment longer, until Nero finally gained the upper hand and broke free with another fiery stroke of the durandal, steam hissing up from the blade as rain made contact with fire.

As he leapt over Dominus, the Overlord brought his hand up, and hit the part devil with a purple bolt of energy. Though Nero's devil form absorbed most of the attack, it still hurt more than he imagined possible. The hunter landed hard on the ground, gasping as he clutched his wounded side. The current of paranormal energy burned along his ribcage, the fingers of his left hand twitching involuntarily from the pain.

"Nero!" Patty's cry was followed by a dozen or more devil spears cutting through the air, forcing Dominus to back away from his fallen enemy, the devil summoning a shield to block the teen's attack as he had done before.

Nero got to his feet, wiping rain-soaked strands of hair from his forehead as the wounds Dominus inflicted on him began to heal. Raising his eyes to the Overlord, he let out a growl and lunged toward him, deflecting the energy spheres that had been intended for Patty.

"Don't worry about me, I can shield myself." Patty protested, sending another barrage of devil spears at Dominus, "Just focus on finishing him; we can't let the others down, not now!"

"Foolish girl," Dominus chortled mirthlessly, his lips pulling back into a sneer as thunder rumbled overhead. "Do you really believe you'll get out of this, alive?"

"We should be asking _you_ that same question!" Nero volleyed back, calling forth more energy daggers while he returned Red Queen to her spot on his back. The miniature blades of light revolved around him for a few seconds until he brought Blue Rose up, and pulled the trigger.

The charged bullet sped toward Dominus first, the energy daggers slicing through the air behind it. Dominus brought his right arm up, causing a wall of dark spheres to appear in front of him.

The spheres pelted forward, crashing into the part devil's attack. Sparks of blue and violet exploded in the air between Nero and Dominus, the attacks cancelling each other out to drift around them like otherworldly snowflakes.

There wasn't a second to spare as Dominus lurched forward, slamming the scythe's handle into Nero's midsection. Pain exploded in the hunter's stomach as he flew backward into a park bench, the wood splintering on impact. Shallow, ragged breaths tore through him, his lungs fighting for air as his broken ribs began mending themselves.

_What the hell is it gonna take to finish this asshole off?_

Spitting blood up onto the ground, the part devil was pleasantly surprised to realize he was maintaining his devil form a lot longer than he usually did, the blue aura that rippled across his skin soothing away the battle aches and pains.

Gritting his teeth, Nero held Red Queen behind him, infusing the sword with as much of his demonic aura as he could without relinquishing his devil form. He could hear Dominus approaching, his footfalls slow, deliberate, as though his victory was assured.

_It's not over yet, you arrogant bastard. _Nero's lips twisted into a wry grin as his gaze met Dominus', the Overlord's overconfident sneer fading when he felt the power rolling off of the part devil. _Looks like it's time for me take you down a couple of notches!_

* * *

_It never stops being a pleasure fighting these things..._ Dante mused, grimacing in disgust as he wiped the mixture of webbing and green slime from his coat, shaking the remnants from his fingertips with some difficulty.

Looking around the dimly lit chamber, he heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed that he had run out of opponents-at least for the time being. Sweeping his gaze passed the doors he'd originally come through, he did a double-take when he made out a narrow corridor hidden in the shadows, two thick support columns standing sentry on either side.

"Hmm…" Dante strode forward with Rebellion in hand, resting the large sword on top of his right shoulder, the blade catching the light of the torches lining the chamber walls.

His boots clacked over the broken parquet flooring, the loose pieces crunching loudly beneath his heels throughout the spacious room. As he got closer, he realized the corridor led to an even smaller stairwell spiralling upward, the crumbling steps thrown into sharp relief due to the same blue-flamed torches lining the cinderblock walls.

A current of energy tingled just beneath Dante's skin, causing the fine hairs along his arms to stand on end.

_There's either a large den of devils up there, or I'm getting close to the portal that will lead me back home. Well, nothing will get done just standing around here. _

He gripped Rebellion more tightly, and put his foot on the first step, testing it to make sure it would support his weight. Satisfied when it didn't shift beneath his boot, he exhaled the breath he'd unintentionally been holding, and ascended the narrow steps.

* * *

Patty narrowed her eyes against the downpour, watching as Nero powered up his attack. The part devil was shrouded in blue wisps, reminding the teen of fire as it rolled across his drenched form. In his left hand, Red Queen glowed crimson, appearing violet along the parts of the blade where the indigo energy coalesced with it.

Returning her attention to her own task, she ignored the chill of the rain, and felt the warm tingle of power thrumming beneath her skin; the supernatural wind tugging at the hem of her coat as she continued chanting her spell under her breath.

The magical energy started to dance across the surface of her skin, her outstretched fingertips trembling as the power coursed up and down the length of her arms. White light crept out from the centre of her pendant, flooding through each limb before it began swirling in the air around her. As it reached its peak, disjointed memories flashed through her mind, the images seeming to bleed together before breaking into individual recollections.

Dante saving her from the demon disguised as her mother at the opera house…Her and Lady playing pool when business was slow…Trish teaching her how to properly channel her magic…Her late night movie marathons with Dante and Nero whenever the younger hunter came to visit…Morrison teaching her how to tell when Dante was bluffing at poker…Kyrie and Nero's wedding…Dante and Lady cheering her up during her first breakup…Nero's constant vigilance with her firearms training…

So many memories flitted through her mind, the energy around her swirling faster with each one that went by.

"_We need you every bit as much as you need us."_

Had it only just been that morning when Dante had spoken those words to her? With everything that had happened in the last few hours, it felt as though it had been a lifetime ago.

Patty snapped out of her musings as Nero swept his sword forward, releasing a powerful cross slash at Dominus. The energy the part devil had built up was potent, the attack spreading out to form a blazing blue 'X' that cut through the rain as it barrelled toward the Demon Overlord. The blast slammed into an invisible barrier Dominus had formed around himself, before finally breaking through with an ear-splitting _crack_. His armour shattered on impact, the Overlord flying backward to land heavily on his back with a pained groan.

_My turn! _

What happened next caught even Patty by surprise; as she directed her will toward Dominus, the energy she'd been channelling erupted from the ground, forming more than a dozen massive pillars of light. Doing her best not to lose concentration, she watched in awe as the pillars began to spin rapidly, rotating closer and closer to Dominus.

Taking a deep breath, she placed the fingertips of both hands together, forming a sort of triangle when she brought her thumbs together at the bottom. Staring fixedly at the spinning beams of light, she envisioned them winding in around Dominus, slicing into him like a blender of pure energy.

As the pillars began to do just what she wanted, she met Dominus' fearful, crimson gaze. The Demon Overlord knelt in the rubble that had formerly been the brick path, rain trickling down his face, his chest heaving with every breath. Rivulets of blood poured from the wounds all over his body, his coppery hair matted against his forehead with a mixture of blood and water.

Patty's view of the Overlord was soon obstructed, the energy pillars forming a tight circle around him as they continued to revolve even faster. There was no mistaking when they officially met their mark, for Dominus' tortured cries resounded throughout the entire park, cutting through the din of the rain that continued to rage all around them.

The pillars had merged to form one enormous beam of light, the white energy undulating with flickers of violet as it kept rotating where they had seen Dominus short moments before.

Growing weary, Patty lowered her hands, willing the energy to dissipate. As the energy column started to fade, she cast her gaze in Nero's direction.

The hunter had returned to normal, neither Yamato nor the blue armoured devil avatar, anywhere to be seen.

The trainee heaved a sigh, closing her eyes as she sank to her knees, her body trembling from exertion. As she deeply breathed in the sweet smelling air, she realized the rain had started to let up, a gentle breeze wafting wet tendrils of hair across her face. Soft footfalls approached her before a gentle hand rested on her shoulder, squeezing lightly.

Opening her eyes, she met Nero's concerned gaze. The part devil's silvery eyebrows were drawn together, the corners of his mouth set in a grim line as he looked her directly in the eye.

"Are you okay? That was one hell of an attack you pulled off, there."

Patty nodded, her gaze flicking over to where the last of the energy blast was fading away. "Did we get him?"

Nero turned to look in the same direction, his jaw clenching as he peered through the last traces of magical energy shrouding the Overlord.

Patty let out a gasp, eyes widening at what she saw. Despite the severity of the attacks both she and Nero had released upon him, the Demon Overlord was on his feet. Looking more closely, the trainee realized he no longer maintained his true form; Dominus had reverted back to his basic form, though he was considerably less regal than before. With the amount of blood coating him, it was difficult for the teenaged girl to tell which wounds had healed, and which ones were still bleeding.

Despite his apparently broken appearance, he was steady on his feet, his lips curling back into a menacing sneer as he fixed his blood red eyes on both hunters.

Shakily getting to her feet, Patty exchanged a look with Nero, the part devil wearing a grave expression. "Don't be afraid," he murmured, catching the trainee's eye. "When all is said and done, we're gonna be the ones who come out on top. I promise you, Patty."

Patty cast her gaze back in Dominus' direction, and heaved a sigh, reluctantly nodding in agreement. "I sure hope you're right." She pulled Karma from her holster, switching the safety to _off_ on the gun-blade. "I only have one cartridge left."

Nero patted her on the shoulder, and turned to face the Demon Overlord, Patty following his lead.

"Well then, I guess we'd better make this count."

* * *

A hot blast of air greeted Dante when he made it to the top of the stairs, the half devil's eyebrows shooting up in surprise when he realized he was standing in a rooftop courtyard.

Black vines covered the solitary wall situated just behind him, framing the archway of the stairwell. Overhead, heavy clouds rolled through the sky, tinged with an eerie green. Several small statues dotted the courtyard, though what they were of, Dante couldn't be sure; through either demonic vandals or through the passing of time, most of them had been destroyed beyond recognition.

Directly in the centre of all of this was a rather large tree, the same blackened colour as the creeping vines. There were no leaves on any of its branches, each twig appearing dry and brittle.

As Dante continued to study his surroundings, he caught a flicker of movement to his right; he dove to the ground and rolled off to the side, getting to his feet just as a massive scythe slammed into the mossy earth where he'd just been standing.

Smirking, he turned his gaze on the Hell Vanguard, the reaper-like devil wailing in frustration when it realized it had missed its prey. Casting a quick glance around, the red-clad hunter let out a devious chuckle.

"It looks like you've got quite a few guests at this little party of yours." He strode in the centre of the demons circling him, taking note of the Enigmas and Basilisks, as well as a group of strange, two-headed snake types he couldn't recall encountering before. "I guess I'd better get acquainted with them. Wouldn't want to be rude, you know."

_Huh...what are those hounds even doing here? What with them being man-made, I'm surprised the other devils aren't chasing them off. _Dante mused, his gaze roving warily over the Basilisks as he unclipped Ebony from his hip. There were only four of them, but the fiery, regenerative, _skull-throwing_ hell hounds could spell a lot of trouble, when they wanted to; which when the devil hunter really thought about it, was fairly often.

_Not that they're particularly strong, but damn, those little bastards can be evasive!_

Dante continued pacing, his smirk growing when the twenty or so two-headed snake demons began hissing at him, their fangs dripping with venom. He turned his attention back to the Vanguard, the cloaked devil's violet eyes aglow as it cackled menacingly at him.

Gesturing grandly with his sword, he tilted his chin in the demon's direction, grinning at it challengingly. "Alright ugly, let's do this!"

* * *

Dante was determined to take the Hell Vanguard down first, knowing that out of the demons he currently faced, it was most likely the strongest. However, his strategy was proving difficult; between the Vanguard teleporting and having to dodge snake bites, energy darts, and flaming skulls, he was lucky to get the odd strike in against the reaper demon!

Fortunately, luck seemed to be smiling down on him; when a flaming skull intended for him bowled over a handful of the two-headed serpents, a fight broke out between them and the Basilisks.

Taking advantage of their momentary confusion, Dante dodged to the side as one of the Enigmas launched three energy arrows at him, stabbing his sword directly through the chest of the Vanguard just as it appeared in front of him.

The Vanguard let out a pained cry, swinging its scythe around in retaliation. Unfortunately for the Enigma that had shot at the half devil, it was directly in the path of the reaper's massive scythe.

The Enigma's stone limbs were scattered hither and tither, the debris smacking into a few of the other demons as the Vanguard continued its feeble attempt at bringing Dante down.

Catching the solitary eye of the last Enigma, Dante chuckled, parrying the Vanguard's attack as he did so. "With friends like this, who needs enemies; am I right?"

He ducked down as the Vanguard swept its weapon in a horizontal arc, looking up just in time to see the surprised widening of the Enigma's eye before it joined in its comrade's fate. Grinning, he looked back up at the Vanguard; the cloaked devil had stopped its wild attack as soon as it realized it was taking out its companions. Dante was sure that if it was capable of facial expressions, it would have looked dumbfounded right about now.

Without wasting another second, he open fired on the Vanguard, finishing with a savage thrust of Rebellion into its middle. The demon looked at him in surprise, a mournful cry echoing throughout the courtyard as the reaper devil disintegrated on the spot.

Flicking the residue off of his blade, Dante turned, bringing Rebellion down just in time to take off the heads of one of the serpents. It seemed the issues between the hell hounds and reptiles had been resolved…and by the look of things, had resulted in the death of one of the Basilisks, and a handful of the snakes.

"If I stand here long enough, you guys will take each other out without me even having to lift a finger." He snickered, slamming his sword into a flaming skull that came his way. The skull rebounded right back at its owner, the Basilisk letting out a yelp as it smacked into the blackened tree. The hound fell limply to the ground, bursting into flames before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Dante turned to face the remaining demons only to be rewarded with a comical sight, causing him to fall into a silent fit of laughter. He shook his head in wry amusement as the two remaining Basilisks jumped out of the courtyard, a trail of fire following them as they darted through the fortress' damaged front gate.

Surreptitiously looking around, he noticed the two-headed snakes were nowhere to be found; he couldn't help imagining that wherever they had slithered off to, they were watching him right now with bright, fearful eyes.

The half devil's soft chuckles stopped abruptly as the air around him began to stir, taking on a mirage-like quality. There was a momentary flash of silver, forcing him to bring a hand up to shield his eyes. Blinking away the pinpricks of light still dancing in his vision, he was met with a familiar sight. A silvery pool of light swirled a few feet in front of him within a brass frame; a whitish glow danced across the vortex's rippling surface, Dante's ears picking up a soft humming coming from deep within.

_Well, I haven't seen one of these in a long time, _the devil hunter mused, frowning. _A very, very long time…_

Could this be the portal that would take him back to the human world? Dante put his weapons away with a sigh, and steeled himself.

"Only one way to find out…"

* * *

**Man, I had a weird time with this chapter; some parts came fairly easily (though required insane amounts of tweaking) and other parts just…well, let's just say by the end of this, I was really beginning to question my sanity. Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this! Last chapter (and epilogue) will be on the way…in a few days, or so. :) **


	15. Showdown!

**Well, here it comes, folks. The final stretch. Here you will find the conclusion to Nero and Patty's battle against the Demon Overlord, Dominus. It has been both an honour and a challenge, writing this story. I thank all of you who have supported this work through your reviews, following, and adding it to your favourites. After this, only the Epilogue remains as a source of closure. Thank you so much, everybody. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Devil May Cry or the characters; they are the property of Capcom. This fanfiction is non-profit, and purely for entertainment purposes, only.**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Showdown!**

No sooner had Nero advised they make their next attacks count, when Dominus started pelting them with everything he had.

The Demon Overlord kept thrusting energy blasts in the hunters' direction while moving away from them, favouring his left leg as he staggered toward the horse-mounted statue of Sparda.

"Focus on shielding!" The part devil shouted to Patty as he deflected a dark sphere that was hurled his way, his sword breaking the energy blast into a cloud of crackling dust. "I'll take care of the offensive; save your attacks for when we absolutely need them!"

"Got it!" Patty replied. The teenager formed protective barriers around them both just as Dominus unleashed a flurry of blasts their way, the black and violet energy balls dispersing when they made contact with the bubbles of anti-demon magic.

Nero cast a glance in Patty's direction, noticing that the trainee still looked exhausted after the powerful attack she'd used only moments ago. A bead of sweat trickled from her temple to her jawline, her chest heaving with laboured breaths as she held her hands in front of her.

_Just hang in there a little longer. _Nero silently pleaded, dousing Red Queen's blade in flammable lubricant with a rapid twist of the sword's handgrip. _Once we finish this bastard off, you can have all the time off that you need._

With that, the part devil rushed forward, fire trailing along Red Queen's blade as he lashed out at Dominus. The Overlord attempted to block with his scythe, but was overpowered in his weakened state, Nero knocking the hooked blade off to the side with very little effort on his part. The sword met its mark, leaving a jagged gash along Dominus' side, a grunt of pain escaping him as the part devil finished his attack with a circular flourish.

Backing off, Nero inspected his handiwork, all the while keeping an eye on the Overlord as he clutched his side. The wound puckered around the edges, blistered from the fiery spin the young hunter had finished with.

Dominus' eyes flashed angrily, drawing Nero's attention back to his face. There would be time to assess the damage later-like when Dominus was lying dead at his feet. Right now, he needed to stay on his guard; the fewer protective shields Patty had to cast, the better it would be for the teenaged girl.

It seemed Dominus had other plans for them however, for his attacks became even more reckless than before; as extensive as his injuries were, he appeared to be tapping into some backup power reserve, the Overlord assaulting the hunters with a barrage of his energy spheres and violet electrical sparks.

Nero raised his right arm up to shield himself the same time that Patty cast a barrier over him, but it was evident that Dominus had been prepared for this as well, for he lunged toward the trainee instead, forcing Nero to move quickly.

The part devil got in between the teenager and the Overlord, the blades of both weapons coming to rest against the other's neck. Before Nero could even wonder how he was going to get out of this particular stalemate, he felt something surge over his right shoulder, a narrow beam of light causing Dominus to reel backward as it slammed into his chest.

Nero took advantage of the Overlord's temporary lack of balance and lurched forward, lashing out at him with feverish zeal. With every upward and downward stroke of his blade, Dominus just managed to block with his own weapon, twirling the scythe back and forth to meet each one of the part devil's strikes.

"Even in my weakened form, you're still no match for me, boy!" Dominus hissed, slamming the back of the scythe into the part devil's midsection.

Pain jolted through Nero's stomach, forcing him to double over with a groan. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye, the Demon Overlord swinging his weapon down toward him with a victorious cry.

The scythe's downward momentum was cut short as a sharp _crack_ echoed through the air, Dominus' pained howl causing Nero to instinctively look up from his position. Blood spurted from the Overlord's midsection, the ground between them splattered with the thick, crimson liquid.

Another shot rang out, then another, Patty's bullets hitting his shoulder and thigh this time. Nero looked over his shoulder at her, meeting her gaze with a slight shake of his head.

_Save your bullets._

The trainee appeared to have understood the reason behind his subtle gesture, for she nodded and lowered her weapon, defensively extending her other hand in front of her. Hearing a rustle in front of him, Nero didn't need to wonder why; though bleeding, Dominus was still able to recover fairly quickly from the attacks. The Overlord staggered toward him with his scythe gripped in both hands, his nostrils flaring as his eyes bore into Nero's.

Growing tired of waiting for his opponent to strike, Nero made the first move. Neither the hunter, nor the Overlord were holding back, now; steel clashed over and over, the duo entering a sort of battle trance as they tried to get the upper hand on the other.

Nero swivelled around on his heel, thrusting Red Queen toward Dominus' exposed side. The Overlord saw it coming however and brought the handle of his scythe up to meet the durandal, pivoting on his own heel as he swung the curved blade toward Nero's shoulder.

The part devil brought his right arm up with a growl, the scythe rebounding harmlessly off of the Devil Bringer's scales much to Dominus' displeasure, the Demon Overlord baring his teeth with a snarl.

Nero gritted his teeth, and twisted his wrist around to grab the portion of the scythe's handle that was closest to him. Hefting it in the palm of his demonic hand, he let out a roar, and threw it with all his might. Much to his satisfaction, Dominus held onto his weapon just as Dante had done all those years ago during their first interaction, the Overlord soaring through the air to crack into the thick trunk of a nearby tree.

The impact actually caused the massive oak's bark to shatter, leaving a pale, smooth depression where Dominus' body had hit it.

Settling Red Queen between his shoulder blades, Nero pulled Blue Rose from the holster at his left hip, cocking the hammer back on the custom revolver as he stared down the length of the barrel.

Just like Patty, he too was on his last cartridge; if they wanted to put an end to Dominus once and for all, they were going to have to use their tactical resources sensibly. All he needed was a little more time to build up his energy and he'd be able to devil trigger again; then he'd have no trouble mopping the floor with the Demon Overlord!

As Dominus got to his feet, Nero pulled the trigger, Patty following up with a heavily reduced version of her devil spear. With the trainee's magic greatly diminished, all the part devil could do was hope they were able to accomplish what they set out to do before all of their assets were used up.

The hunter watched as both the bullet and the spears hit the Overlord square in the chest, the demon vomiting blood onto the ground as he clutched the wound.

After several long seconds of heaving, Dominus wiped an armoured sleeve across his blood-stained lips, and straightened up with an indignant scowl. The ferocity of his gaze contradicted his battered appearance, Nero reacting by putting Blue Rose away and grabbing Red Queen from over his shoulder with an agitated sigh.

_Something tells me this isn't over, yet._

* * *

Patty remained on the defensive as Nero closed the gap between himself and the Demon Overlord, the clash of their blades ringing in the teenaged girl's ears.

She cast her gaze to the twilit sky, watching as the last of the storm clouds blew over, revealing faintly glimmering stars overhead. As the clouds continued to drift by, they obscured the moon from view, the trainee snapping out of her musings to keep an eye on Nero's progress against Dominus.

It was difficult for her to just stand here and watch, only casting the occasional spell when the part devil deemed it necessary of her. She knew that he was worried about her and just wanted her to conserve her energy for when it really mattered, but she couldn't help the frustration welling up within her. This was her fight too, after all, and she had so much to prove-not just to Nero, Dante and the others, but to herself as well.

Patty let out a gasp as Dominus' strikes against Nero became more vicious, forcing the part devil to retreat a few steps as he repeatedly blocked with Red Queen. The trainee began to chant a spell, but when her legs threatened to buckle, she thought better of it. Her magic hadn't had nearly enough time to replenish itself; she'd just have to use Karma for the time being.

_I've only got three shots left…but what choice do I have? _She grasped the gun-blade tightly, allowing a small portion of her power to pour through the handgrip into the Alan's Tear shard embedded within.

Her hair fell loosely around her shoulders, the ponytail having come loose sometime during their long, arduous battle against Dominus. A gentle evening breeze caressed her face as she steadied the custom gun, and pulled the trigger.

The charged bullet penetrated Dominus' wrist, redirecting his upward stroke with his scythe. As he let out an agonized roar, Nero lashed out with his own blade, leaving a shallow gash in the Overlord's left arm.

Blood poured from both wounds in copious amounts, Dominus coughing more of it up at his feet, drenching what remained of his armour as it dribbled down his goatee. He staggered back a few steps, raising his scythe defensively as his crimson gaze darted between the trainee and part devil.

For the first time, Patty could see traces of fear in the Overlord's eyes. All of his arrogant talk from before faded into the back of her mind, replaced with a faint glimmer of hope. With that hope, came an idea; if she could just get in close enough…

"Nero, I have a plan." She called to the hunter, his blue eyes meeting hers questioningly as he retreated a few steps from the Overlord.

"What is it?" He called back, returning his attention to Dominus as the Overlord began slowly advancing toward him.

"I can't _tell_ you," Patty replied, somewhat exasperated. After all, it wouldn't do them any good if they were shouting their attack plans for the enemy to hear now, would it? "You'll just have to trust me; do you think you can do that?"

Patty watched as the durandal and scythe started clashing once again, Nero chancing a glance in her direction when both weapons wound up locked together. "Alright," he ground out between clenched teeth, forcing Dominus back as far as he could, "I hope you know what you're doing, Patty."

"Don't worry," Patty murmured, strafing around the pair as they continued their dual, "I've learned from the best."

With Nero keeping Dominus busy, the Overlord was completely unaware of the trainee approaching him from behind-until she fired a shot into his back, that is. Patty waited patiently, watching as the demon struggled between keeping Nero at bay and tending to his newest wound.

When Nero knocked the scythe from Dominus' fingers, she raced forward, a battle cry tearing from her throat as she charged more of her power down the length of the gun-blade. Thrusting the weapon forward, she tore into the Overlord with a grunt, pulling away to reveal a deep wound between his shoulder blades. Not wasting a single precious second, she fired her last shot, overloading it with the last bit of anti-demon magic she possessed.

Between the energy she'd infused into the blade and the magically charged bullet, Dominus had been introduced to a level of pain and suffering he had never known existed. Patty stumbled back and fell to her knees, the anguished screams of the Overlord drowned out by the steady pounding of her heart in her ears.

Ripples of light thrummed within his wounds, pinpricks of it poking out through the bullet holes in his chest and shoulders. As he continued to stand there, writhing and screaming, brilliant light burst forth from Nero, the part devil triggering to serve the final blow.

Patty's eyes drifted closed, her lips tugging into a faint smile as the soothing darkness of unconsciousness claimed her.

_Give him hell, Nero._

* * *

Nero watched as Patty collapsed from exhaustion, a ghost of a smile playing upon the adolescent girl's lips as she fell to her side.

_Nice work, Patty. _He thought with a smile of his own, calling forth his devil form. _Dante would be proud._

As the indigo waves of energy rolled over his body, he couldn't help wondering again what had become of the elder devil hunter. As Yamato appeared within the grasp of his Devil Bringer, the part devil hoped that whatever had happened to him, Dante would be alright.

Nero stared down as Dominus fell to his knees, the Overlord's eyes wide with fright as his life's blood poured from his body. The young hunter focused his power into Yamato, the phantom devil that shrouded him turning in unison with him as he gripped the katana in both hands. The energy rippled and pulsed, ethereal flames dancing down the length of his arms into the blade.

"Ashes to ashes…" Nero muttered under his breath, gritting his teeth as Yamato began to jerk in his grasp from the tremendous amount of energy he imbued it with.

When the power was at its maximum, Nero let loose with a primal roar and allowed Yamato to guide him. He unleashed a flurry of diagonal strokes with the fiercely glowing katana, lashing out at the Demon Overlord again and again.

The first series of blows never hit their mark, for Dominus had cast a barrier around himself in a desperate bid for survival. It didn't last very long, however, as Nero's strokes with the sword became more savage, sending up sparks each time he made contact with the shield.

Nero pivoted back and forth with every horizontal and vertical strike of his blade, the flow of his movements smoother than they'd ever been before. He reached over his shoulder and grabbed hold of Red Queen, allowing some of his demonic power to flow through the sword. With a mighty final thrust downward with both the durandal and katana, he broke through the Overlord's defenses, the barrier shattering like glass around him.

Dominus screamed as both blades bit into his flesh, cutting through his armour as though it were nothing more than cloth. Nero pulled the swords from the Overlord's chest with a grunt, jerking them sideways to flick the blood from the blades.

"…Dust to dust." He glared down at Dominus, the Demon Overlord falling forward onto the shattered cobblestones with an audible crunching sound. Blood pooled around his still form, his ragged breaths the only indication that he was still alive.

Panting, Nero felt his devil form fade away, the young hunter leaning heavily on Red Queen as he fell to his knees, fatigue washing over him.

_Finally…it's over._

He couldn't tell what drenched him more; the rain from earlier, or the sweat currently leaking from every pore in his body. Letting out a breathy chuckle, he looked over at Patty, the teenager stirring as her consciousness returned.

She let out a soft moan, her eyes fluttering open as she turned her head in his direction. Confusion flickered across her face, the trainee gracing him with a weary smile as her vision sharpened. "Did we…did we win?"

Nero let out another laugh, wincing slightly at a sudden stitch in his side. "Yeah Patty, we won."

The part devil shakily rose to his feet and took a few unsteady steps toward her, holding his hand out to the teen with a smile. Patty nodded at him appreciatively and sat up, bringing a hand to her forehead with a groan.

"Hey, are you okay?" Nero asked, resting his hand on her shoulder.

Patty set her jaw and nodded, grasping his other hand with hers. "Yeah, just a little nauseous, that's all. I'll be fine."

Nero gently pulled her to her feet, the part devil nearly losing his balance in the process. Patty wrapped an arm around his waist, preventing him from falling. Nero opted to do the same, the duo supporting one another as they turned to watch Dominus take his dying breath.

As the Overlord finally stilled, Nero let out a sigh of relief, tilting his head back to gaze up at the heavens. The stars were beginning to fade, traces of pink and orange flowing together as night gave way to dawn.

There was a sudden cracking sound from in front of them, followed by a blinding flash of light. Nero heard Patty echo his own startled gasp, both hunters gripping one another tightly as a shimmering silver portal opened up on the other side of Dominus' body.

Nero bared his teeth as he stared fixedly into the portal, his right arm beginning to pulse in warning. The surface of the portal began to ripple more erratically, no longer retaining the smoothness of glass.

As a red-clad figure stepped through it, the part devil couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face. "Well, it's about time!"

"Damn, looks like I missed the party." Dante lamented with a grin in Nero's direction, hands resting casually on his hips.

"Dante!" Patty broke free of Nero, the teenager tackling the elder hunter before pulling him into a fierce hug.

Nero's smile grew as he watched the half devil hug her back just as tightly, a genuine smile on his lips as he rested his chin atop the adolescent's head.

"Hey, that's what you get for being late." The part devil quipped, drawing the elder hunter's attention back to him as he staggered forward. "I _told_ you there wouldn't be any left overs."

Despite every one of his limbs protesting in agony, Nero couldn't contain his elation at seeing Dante there, alive and well. He was pulled into a hug by both the teenager and half devil when he finally reached them, all thoughts of his injuries fading from his mind.

The euphoria that passed through Nero was contagious, the part devil's mirth manifesting as wild laughter, tears streaming from his eyes as he tightly held his companions. The next thing he knew, they had all surrendered to raucous laughter, leaning on one another for support.

As their laughter faded to giggles, Nero coughed a few times, clearing his throat.

"It's good to have you back, old man."

"It's good to be back, kid."

The younger hunter let out a nervous chuckle as the trio disengaged from one another, rubbing the back of his neck as his cheeks started to burn bright red.

"Hey," Patty's exclamation broke the awkward silence, both white-haired men looking her way at the same time, "I wonder how Trish and Lady made out with all of those people? Do you think they're alright?"

Nero exchanged a look with the elder hunter, both of them nodding at the same time.

"Well, only one way to find out…"

* * *

**Well, there is the final chapter…but, it's not over yet. We still have the epilogue!. And would you look at that…you don't have to wait for it. :) As always, please review.**


	16. Epilogue

**As this is the Epilogue, there won't be any excitement. As stated before, this is just my way of wrapping everything up in as tidy of a bow as I could. :)**

**Thanks to all of you again for reading, reviewing, and adding this to your favourites. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, etc. and A Happy New Year! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Devil May Cry, or the characters; they are the property of Capcom. This fanfiction is non-profit, and solely for entertainment purposes.**

* * *

**Epilogue**

Upon leaving the park, Dante, Nero and Patty headed directly to the _Devil May Cry,_ figuring that it was as good a place to start as any. As it turned out, it was the _only_ place they needed to look; Trish and Lady had all of the people rounded up inside of the spacious office, the two women keeping busy as they tended to any wounds the victims may have sustained.

When they had first set foot through the double doors, the trio had been greeted by the barrel of Lady's missile launcher; the female hunter lowered her weapon when she realized it was them, but not before cuffing Dante along his jaw when he made one of his usual cheeky remarks.

From there, the hunters got to work; Dante, Lady, and Nero took on the task of escorting all of the victims to their homes, dividing them into groups in case any of Dominus' minions were still lurking about.

Trish remained with Patty at the office, the demoness spending a great deal of time on the phone, informing the municipal government offices of neighbouring towns and cities that the danger had passed. When she finished doing that, she got a hold of the media; after all, who better to confirm her claims as indisputable proof than an overflow of news vans and helicopters?

Despite her exhaustion, Patty set to work on cleaning the office. As far as she was concerned, she had no right to relax until everyone else did, too. And since they were all still working so diligently, she would do the same. Besides, there was something cathartic about performing such an ordinary task after everything she'd been through over the last four days. If anything could help her readjust to normality, it was cleaning Dante's office. It always brought her back to those earlier days, before she had officially been swept up in all of the madness that came with knowing the 'Legendary Devil Hunter'.

Donning her apron, Patty rolled up her sleeves, and set to work, determined to polish the hardwood floor to its former glory.

* * *

_That evening…_

"I'm fine mom, don't worry."

Dante leaned back in his high-backed, gothic style chair with his feet propped up on the desk, the devil hunter listening idly as Patty assuaged her mother's fears over the phone. Over in the sitting area, Trish, Lady, and Nero partook in a silent game of poker, the younger hunter having just gotten off the phone with Kyrie moments before.

Dante smirked; judging by the strained expression the part devil had worn, he had received a fair bit of admonishing from the red-haired songstress-however mild it may have been. The conversation had ended well from what the half devil could see, however, since Nero had reacquired some of his colour by the time he'd hung up.

"Yes, I'll be home soon."

Patty's voice brought Dante out of his reverie, the hunter cracking an eye open curiously at the strained patience in the teenaged girl's voice.

"Yes mom, I'll tell him…Okay, I'll see you soon…'Bye." Patty hung up the antique phone with an irritated sigh, the trainee pinching the bridge of her nose as she leaned wearily against the mahogany desk.

"So…" Dante said after a moment, breaking the silence, "how was her business trip?"

Patty met his playful grin with a scowl, the teenager sighing again as she folded her arms across her chest. "Oh, it went just _fine_," she replied brusquely, "you know, except for the parts where all she could do was pay attention to the News Broadcasts about everything happening here."

Dante squirmed in his seat, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. "Uh…how much does she know, exactly?" His grin faded as he looked warily at the teenager through his bangs.

Patty must have sensed his trepidation, for her lips pulled into a faint smirk. "She knows enough." The teenager replied with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. "Oh, and just FYI, she's probably going to want to have a…_talk_ with you."

_Great…just what I need._

Dante ran a gloved hand over his face with a groan. "You've got to be kidding me. She left you in my care while she went away on business; _my _care! Do you mean to tell me after all of this time, she suddenly doesn't trust me to keep you safe?"

Patty giggled at this, startling the half devil out of his grousing. "Of course she trusts _you!_ She's still my mother, though; she's going to worry, no matter what. It's just what they do."

The devil hunter let out an irritated huff, slumping in his seat as Patty gently laid a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He mumbled, crossing his arms with another sigh.

Dante was startled out of his surly mood when Patty leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, the teenager giving him a playful wink as she squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry. I'll soften her up a bit so she doesn't give you _too_ much of a hard time, okay?"

"You'd better," he teased with a poke to the teenager's ribs, smirking when he was rewarded by her startled yelp. "Otherwise, she might not let your training continue."

Patty paled at this, Dante chuckling softly as he got to his feet. "It'll be fine, Patty." He ruffled her hair, chuckling again when she scowled. "Nina wouldn't want your training to stop, not after all of this. If anything, she'll want you to do more of it."

It was the trainee's turn to groan helplessly. "Just great," She grumbled, "As if I'm not already swamped enough between training _and_ school…"

"Look on the bright side, Patty." Nero strode over to the desk then, the younger hunter's lips quirking into a grin. "The timing couldn't have been more perfect; at least this time you got to do some real demon hunting over the course of the long weekend, instead of having to catch up on your homework, for once."

Patty cast a baleful look in the part devil's direction, causing both white-haired men to break into laughter.

"If you guys are quite done tormenting Patty," Lady sidled up them, resting a sympathetic hand on the teen's arm, "I should get her home before Nina worries any more than she already has."

"Yeah, I'd better get going, too." Nero declared, playfully elbowing Dante in the ribs. "You're still giving me a lift to the airport, right old man?"

"Keep calling me _old_ and I'll make you walk there." the half devil growled, elbowing the younger hunter back. As Nero glared at him, rubbing his side, Dante turned his attention to Trish. "You sure you're okay with holding down the fort, babe?"

The demoness stretched languidly on the couch, her ruby lips pulling into a smile. "Oh, I'm more than okay; I'm sure I'll find something to occupy myself with while you're gone."

From the heavy drooping of her eyelids, Dante could well imagine just what that 'something' would be. He let out a soft chuckle, the sound echoed by the others as they glanced Trish's way.

"We won't be gone long," Lady smirked at the demoness, "Try not to _strain_ yourself."

Trish's retort was cut short as Lady headed out the door, Dante chuckling to himself at the demoness' grumbling as he followed the others out into the cool evening air. Nero had already gotten into the passenger seat of the convertible, his window rolled down as he chatted idly with Patty, the teen sliding in behind Lady on her speed bike.

As the motorcycle roared to life, Patty grinned at the half devil through the visor of her helmet, her voice coming out muffled. "Same time next week?"

Dante opened the driver's side door with a chuckle. "I certainly hope not," he smirked at her as he slid into his seat, "after this whole mess, I need a _real_ vacation!"

The convertible purred as he turned the key in the ignition, the half devil patiently waiting as Lady pulled out ahead of him.

The occupants of both vehicles waved to the other as Dante turned the corner, Nero settling more comfortably in his seat for the half hour drive to the airport.

After several long moments of driving, Nero cleared his throat, breaking the silence.

"You know, if you really need a vacation, you could always come visit Kyrie and I in Fortuna."

"What, you haven't gotten your fill of me yet, kid?" Dante exchanged a look with the younger hunter, grinning.

Both men shared a chuckle at this, Nero tilting his head against the headrest, his eyes half closed.

"On the other hand," Dante murmured, startling Nero out of his groggy state, "that might not be such a bad idea, after all."

**~Fin~**

* * *

**Well, it's officially over…excuse me while I go into writer's withdrawal, now. :'( On a positive note, I'll be returning with more writing after the Christmas holidays. See my profile for details.**


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